[{"word":"decays","phonetic":"/dɪˈkeɪz/","phonetics":[{"text":"/dɪˈkeɪz/","audio":""}],"meanings":[{"partOfSpeech":"verb","definitions":[{"definition":"To deteriorate, to get worse, to lose strength or health, to decline in quality.","synonyms":[],"antonyms":[],"example":"The pair loved to take pictures in the decaying hospital on forty-third street."},{"definition":"(of organic material) To rot, to go bad.","synonyms":[],"antonyms":[],"example":"The cat's body decayed rapidly."},{"definition":"(of an unstable atom) To change by undergoing fission, by emitting radiation, or by capturing or losing one or more electrons.","synonyms":[],"antonyms":[]},{"definition":"(of a quantum system) To undergo optical decay, that is, to relax to a less excited state, usually by emitting a photon or phonon.","synonyms":[],"antonyms":[]},{"definition":"Loss of airspeed due to drag.","synonyms":[],"antonyms":[]},{"definition":"To cause to rot or deteriorate.","synonyms":[],"antonyms":[],"example":"The extreme humidity decayed the wooden sculptures in the museum's collection in a matter of years."}],"synonyms":[],"antonyms":[]}],"license":{"name":"CC BY-SA 3.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0"},"sourceUrls":["https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/decay","https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/decays"]}]