degeneration
Americannoun
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the process of degenerating.
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the condition or state of being degenerate.
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Pathology.
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a process by which a tissue deteriorates, loses functional activity, and may become converted into or replaced by other kinds of tissue.
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the condition produced by such a process.
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noun
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the process of degenerating
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the state of being degenerate
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biology the loss of specialization, function, or structure by organisms and their parts, as in the development of vestigial organs
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impairment or loss of the function and structure of cells or tissues, as by disease or injury, often leading to death (necrosis) of the involved part
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the resulting condition
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electronics negative feedback of a signal
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of degeneration
First recorded in 1475–85, degeneration is from the Late Latin word dēgenerātiōn- (stem of dēgenerātiō ). See de-, generation
Explanation
Degeneration is a process of decline. Anything that’s getting worse is going through degeneration. A grand old mansion that’s now abandoned and covered with weeds is in a state of degeneration. When something degenerates, it gets worse in some way, like a house that’s slowly sinking in the mud. This process of decline is called degeneration. The word is from the Latin word degenerare which means "to be inferior to one's ancestors.” Ouch. Now degeneration refers to anything in a state of decline, such as a friendship that was strong and now barely exists.
Vocabulary lists containing degeneration
This Week in Words: April 6–12, 2019
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Tears of a Tiger
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration describes FTD as a group of brain disorders caused by degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes of the brain that affects behavior, language and movement.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2024
Not all physicians recognise the condition, so FTD patients are often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2024
Degeneration of these dopamine and pyramidal neurons plays a key role in the development of neurological disorders.
From Science Daily • Sep. 18, 2023
About 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States have FTD, according to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2023
Degeneration of the muscular tissue of the heart is probably present in some degree in every case of typhoid fever, being, of course, most marked in the severest cases.
From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
