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decay
Pronunciation (dĕ-kā′)
- Destruction of an organic substance by slow combustion or gradual oxidation. Syn: putrefaction
- To deteriorate; to undergo slow combustion or putrefaction.
- In dentistry, caries.
- psychology loss of information registered by the senses and processed into short-term memory. See also: memory
- Loss of radioactivity with time; spontaneous emission of radiation or charged particles or both from an unstable nucleus.
[L. de, down, + cado, to fall]
WebMD Medical Reference from "Stedman's Medical Dictionary"
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Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 28th Edition, Copyright© 2006_Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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