## Meanings
1. To rot or break down gradually through natural processes.
2. To fall into ruin or decline in condition.
3. The process of rotting or decomposing.
4. A decline in quality, strength, or condition.

## Examples
- The fallen leaves slowly decayed into the soil.
- The unoccupied house began to decay over the years.
- Eating too much sugar can lead to tooth decay.
- The neighborhood showed clear signs of urban decay.

## Synonyms
- fester

## Derived Forms
- biodecay
- c-decay
- decayability
- decayable
- decayer
- decayingly
- decayless
- decaylessness
- nondecaying
- photodecay
- predecay
- semidecay

## Related Forms
- deciduous

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ḱh₂d-
- Root: decaien
- Root: decheoir
- Root: dēcidō

## Etymology
From Middle English decaien (“to decrease, diminish”) and decai (“deterioration, decline in value”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (“to fall down, to fail, sink or perish”), from de- (“of, from, away, down”) + cadere (“to fall”). Compare decadent and decadence.

## AI Etymology
decay comes from Middle English decaien (“to decrease, diminish”) and decai (“deterioration, decline in value”), from Anglo-Norman decaeir (“to fall away, decay, decline”), from Vulgar Latin *dēcadere, etymologically restored form of Latin dēcidere (“to fall down, to fail, sink or perish”), from de- (“of, from, away, down”) + cadere (“to fall”). Compare decadent and decadence. The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *ḱh₂d-, Middle English decaien, xno decheoir, Latin dēcidō. Current senses include to rot or break down gradually through natural processes and to fall into ruin or decline in condition. English relatives and later formations include biodecay, c-decay, decayability, deciduous.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Cause, Change & Process

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