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Decay vs. Rust

Decay and Rust Definitions

Decay

(Biology) To break down into component parts; rot.

Rust

Any of various powdery or scaly reddish-brown or reddish-yellow hydrated ferric oxides and hydroxides formed on iron and iron-containing materials by low-temperature oxidation in the presence of water.

Decay

(Physics) To disintegrate in a process of radioactive decay or particle decay.

Rust

Any of various metallic coatings, especially oxides, formed by corrosion.

Decay

(Electronics) To decrease gradually in magnitude. Used of voltage or current.

Rust

A stain or coating resembling iron rust.
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Decay

(Aerospace) To decrease in orbit. Used of an artificial satellite.

Rust

Deterioration, as of ability, resulting from inactivity or neglect.

Decay

To fall into ruin
A civilization that had begun to decay.

Rust

Rust fungus.

Decay

To decline in health or vigor; waste away.

Rust

A plant disease caused by a rust fungus, characterized by reddish or brownish spots on leaves, stems, and other parts.
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Decay

To decline from a state of normality, excellence, or prosperity; deteriorate.

Rust

A strong brown.

Decay

To cause to decay.

Rust

To become corroded.

Decay

The destruction or decomposition of organic matter as a result of bacterial or fungal action; rot.

Rust

To deteriorate or degenerate through inactivity or neglect
My golf game has rusted from all those years of not playing.
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Decay

Rotted matter.

Rust

To become the color of rust.

Decay

See radioactive decay.

Rust

(Botany) To develop a disease caused by a rust fungus.

Decay

See particle decay.

Rust

To corrode or subject (a metal) to rust formation.

Decay

(Aerospace) The decrease in orbital altitude of an artificial satellite as a result of conditions such as atmospheric drag.

Rust

To impair or spoil, as by misuse or inactivity.

Decay

A gradual deterioration to an inferior state
Tooth decay.
Urban decay.

Rust

To color (something) a strong brown.

Decay

A falling into ruin.

Rust

The deteriorated state of iron or steel as a result of moisture and oxidation.
The rust on my bicycle chain made cycling to work very dangerous.

Decay

The process or result of being gradually decomposed.

Rust

A similar substance based on another metal (usually with qualification, such as "copper rust").
Aerugo. Green or blue-green copper rust; verdigris. (American Heritage Dictionary, 1973)

Decay

A deterioration of condition; loss of status or fortune.

Rust

A reddish-brown color.

Decay

(obsolete) Overthrow, downfall, ruin.

Rust

A disease of plants caused by a reddish-brown fungus.

Decay

(programming) The situation, in programming languages such as C, where an array loses its type and dimensions and is reduced to a pointer, for example by passing it to a function.

Rust

(philately) Damage caused to stamps and album pages by a fungal infection.

Decay

(intransitive) To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.
The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street.

Rust

(intransitive) To oxidize, especially of iron or steel.
The patio furniture had rusted in the wind-driven spray.

Decay

To undergo bit rot, that is, gradual degradation.

Rust

(transitive) To cause to oxidize.
The wind-driven spray had thoroughly rusted the patio furniture.

Decay

To undergo software rot, that is, to fail to be updated in a changing environment, so as to eventually become legacy or obsolete.

Rust

(intransitive) To be affected with the parasitic fungus called rust.

Decay

To undergo prolonged reduction in altitude (above the orbited body).

Rust

To (cause to) degenerate in idleness; to make or become dull or impaired by inaction.

Decay

To rot, to go bad.
The cat's body decayed rapidly.

Rust

(intransitive) Of a black cat or its fur, to turn rust-coloured following long periods of exposure to sunlight.
It's very common for black cats to rust during the summer.

Decay

To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons; to undergo radioactive decay. Category:en:Radioactivity

Rust

The reddish yellow coating formed on iron when exposed to moist air, consisting of ferric oxide or hydroxide; hence, by extension, any metallic film of corrosion.

Decay

To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.

Rust

A minute mold or fungus forming reddish or rusty spots on the leaves and stems of cereal and other grasses (Trichobasis Rubigo-vera), now usually believed to be a form or condition of the corn mildew (Puccinia graminis). As rust, it has solitary reddish spores; as corn mildew, the spores are double and blackish.

Decay

Loss of airspeed due to drag.

Rust

That which resembles rust in appearance or effects.
Sacred truths cleared from all rust and dross of human mixtures.

Decay

(transitive) To cause to rot or deteriorate.
The extreme humidity decayed the wooden sculptures in the museum's collection in a matter of years.

Rust

To contract rust; to be or become oxidized.
If gold ruste, what shall iron do?
Our armors now may rust.

Decay

Of an array: to lose its type and dimensions and be reduced to a pointer, for example when passed to a function.

Rust

To be affected with the parasitic fungus called rust; also, to acquire a rusty appearance, as plants.

Decay

To pass gradually from a sound, prosperous, or perfect state, to one of imperfection, adversity, or dissolution; to waste away; to decline; to fail; to become weak, corrupt, or disintegrated; to rot; to perish; as, a tree decays; fortunes decay; hopes decay.
Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,Where wealth accumulates and men decay.

Rust

To degenerate in idleness; to become dull or impaired by inaction.
Must I rust in Egypt? never moreAppear in arms, and be the chief of Greece?

Decay

To cause to decay; to impair.
Infirmity, that decays the wise.

Rust

To cause to contract rust; to corrode with rust; to affect with rust of any kind.
Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.

Decay

To destroy.

Rust

To impair by time and inactivity.

Decay

Gradual failure of health, strength, soundness, prosperity, or of any species of excellence or perfection; tendency toward dissolution or extinction; corruption; rottenness; decline; deterioration; as, the decay of the body; the decay of virtue; the decay of the Roman empire; a castle in decay.
Perhaps my God, though he be far before,May turn, and take me by the hand, and more -May strengthen my decays.
His [Johnson's] failure was not to be ascribed to intellectual decay.
Which has caused the decay of the consonants to follow somewhat different laws.

Rust

A red or brown oxide coating on iron or steel caused by the action of oxygen and moisture

Decay

Destruction; death.

Rust

A reddish-brown discoloration of leaves and stems caused by a rust fungus

Decay

Cause of decay.
He that plots to be the only figure among ciphers, is the decay of the whole age.

Rust

The formation of reddish-brown ferric oxides on iron by low-temperature oxidation in the presence of water

Decay

The process of gradually becoming inferior

Rust

Any of various fungi causing rust disease in plants

Decay

A gradual decrease; as of stored charge or current

Rust

Become destroyed by water, air, or an etching chemical such as an acid;
The metal corroded
The pipes rusted

Decay

The organic phenomenon of rotting

Rust

Cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid;
The acid corroded the metal
The steady dripping of water rusted the metal stopper in the sink

Decay

An inferior state resulting from the process of decaying;
The corpse was in an advanced state of decay
The house had fallen into a serious state of decay and disrepair

Rust

Become coated with oxide

Decay

The spontaneous disintegration of a radioactive substance along with the emission of ionizing radiation

Rust

Of the color of rust

Decay

Lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current;
The particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process

Decay

Fall into decay or ruin;
The unoccupied house started to decay

Decay

Undergo decay or decomposition;
The body started to decay and needed to be cremated

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