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degradation
5 dictionary results for: Degradation
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
deg·ra·da·tion       [deg-ruh-dey-shuhn] Pronunciation Key
–noun
1.the act of degrading.
2.the state of being degraded.
3.Physical Geography. the wearing down of the land by the erosive action of water, wind, or ice.
4.Chemistry. the breakdown of an organic compound.

[Origin: 1525–35; < LL dégradātiōn- (s. of dégradātiō), equiv. to dégradāt(us) (ptp. of dégradāre to degrade) + -iōn- -ion]

deg·ra·da·tion·al, adjective
deg·ra·da·tive, adjective

2. humiliation, disgrace, dishonor, debasement.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
deg·ra·da·tion       (děg'rə-dā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. The act or process of degrading.
  2. The state of being degraded; degeneration.
  3. A decline to a lower condition, quality, or level.
  4. Geology A general lowering of the earth's surface by erosion or weathering.
  5. Chemistry Decomposition of a compound by stages, exhibiting well-defined intermediate products.
  6. Computer Science The state in which a computer operates when some of its memory or peripherals are not available.

deg'ra·da'tive adj.
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
degradation

noun
1. changing to a lower state (a less respected state) 
2. a low or downcast state; "each confession brought her into an attitude of abasement"- H.L.Menchken [syn: abasement

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

degradation deg·ra·da·tion (děg'rə-dā'shən)
n.
Progressive decomposition of a chemical compound into a less complex compound.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Degradation

Deg`ra*da"tion\, n. [LL. degradatio, from degradare: cf. F. d['e]gradation. See Degrade.]

1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop.

He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed. --Clarendon.

2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.

The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters. --Macaulay.

Deplorable is the degradation of our nature. --South.

Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is sensible of the degradation of his state. --Blair.

3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.

The development and degradation of the alphabetic forms can be traced. --I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.

5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.

The degradation of the species man is observed in some of its varieties. --Dana.

6. (Physiol.) Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole.

Degradation of energy, or Dissipation of energy (Physics), the transformation of energy into some form in which it is less available for doing work.

Syn: Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline.

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