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; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low. Faint-hearted and degenerate king. Shak. A degenerate and degraded state. Milton. Degenerate from their ancient blood. Swift. These degenerate days. Pope. I had planted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of…

In a degenerate manner; unworthily.

Degeneracy.

the sons of those who had been slaves; by which, and succeeding alterations, that council degenerated into a most corrupt. Swift.

ce breaks when it is strained beyond its compass and a tone or note is not completed, but degenerates into an unmusical sound instead. Also, to change in tone, as a boy's voice at puberty.

imp. & p. p. of Breed. Bred out, degenerated. "The strain of man's bred out into baboon and monkey." Shak. -- Bred to arms. See under Arms. -- Well bred. (a) Of a good family; having a good pedigree. "A gentleman well bred and of good name." Shak. [Obs., except as applied to domestic animals.] (b) Well brought up, as…

A degenerated or poisoned condition of the blood.

A degenerated or poisoned condition of the blood. --Ca*chæ"mic, Ca*che"mic (#), a.

alinus) which is a troublesome weed in wheat flelds, and is often erroneously regarded as degenerate or changed wheat; it bears a very slight resemblance to oats, and if reaped and ground up with wheat, so as to be used for food, is said to produce narcotic effects; -- called also cheat and Willard's bromus. [U. S.]…

chety, or whimsical. This belief in rightness is a kind of conscientiousness, and when it degenerates it becomes crotchetiness. J. Grote.

To degenerate. [Obs.] "Degendering to hate." Spenser. He degenereth into beastliness. Joye.

The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse. Willful degeneracy from goodness. Tillotson.

The thing degenerated. [R.] Cockle, aracus, . . . and other degenerations. Sir T. Browne. Amyloid degeneration, Caseous degeneration, etc. See under Amyloid, Caseous, etc.

Undergoing or producing degeneration; tending to degenerate.

Degenerate; base. [Obs.] "Degenerous passions." Dryden. "Degenerous practices." South.

To degenerate; to pass from a higher to a lower type of structure; as, a family of plants or animals degrades through this or that genus or group of genera.

The state of being depraved or degenerated; degeneracy; depravity. The depravation of his moral character destroyed his judgment. Sir G. C. Lewis.

To act beneath one-s rank, place, birth, or character; to degenerate. [R.] You are a fool granted; therefore your issues, being foolish, do not derogate. Shak. Would Charles X. derogate from his ancestors Would he be the degenerate scion of that royal line Hazlitt.

To grow worse; to be impaired in quality; to degenerate. Under such conditions, the mind rapidly deteriorates. Goldsmith.

To diminish; to become less; to shrink; to waste or consume away; to become degenerate; to fall away. Weary sennights nine times nine Shall he dwindle, peak and pine. Shak. Religious societies, though begun with excellent intentions, are said to have dwindled into factious clubs. Swift.