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The process of growing worse, or the state of having grown worse.

r putrid; decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration. The inducing and accelerating of putrefaction is a subject of very universal inquiry; for corruption is a reciprocal to "generation". Bacon.

A falling away; decay; deterioration; declension. "The old castle, where the family lived in their decadence.' Sir W. Scott.

r 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. Herbe…

A falling off towards a worse state; a downward tendency; deterioration; decay; as, the declension of virtue, of science, of a state, etc. Seduced the pitch and height of all his thoughts To base declension. Shak.

The act or state of falling off or declining from excellence or perfection; deterioration; decay; decline. "The declination of monarchy." Bacon. Summer . . . is not looked on as a time Of declination or decay. Waller.

A falling off; a tendency to a worse state; diminution or decay; deterioration; also, the period when a thing is tending toward extinction or a less perfect state; as, the decline of life; the decline of strength; the decline of virtue and religion. Their fathers lived in the decline of literature. Swift.…

The state of having become degenerate; decline in good qualities; deterioration; meanness. Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery. Addison. To recover mankind out of their universal corruption and degeneracy. S. Clarke.

worse, or the state of having become worse; decline; degradation; debasement; degeneracy; deterioration. Our degeneration and apostasy. Bates.

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).

Change for the worse; deterioration; morbid perversion.

Act of bringing down; depravation; deterioration. South.

Decau, or defect from decay; deterioration; as, the failure of memory or of sight.

The state of being foxed or discolored, as books; decay; deterioration.

Deterioration; degeneracy; corruption; especially, moral crookedness; moral perversion; perverseness; depravity; as, the pravity of human nature. "The pravity of the will." South.

seafaring group of tribes of southern Alaska comprising the Koluschan stock. Previous to deterioration from contact with the whites they were the foremost traders of the northwest. They built substantial houses of cedar adorned with totem poles, and were expert stone carvers and copper workers. Slavery, the potlatch,…