decrement

[dek-ruh-muh nt]

noun

the act or process of decreasing; gradual reduction.

the amount lost by reduction.

Mathematics. a negative increment.

Physics. the ratio of amplitudes of a damped harmonic motion in the course of two successive oscillations.

Origin of decrement

1475–85; < Latin dēcrēmentum, equivalent to dēcrē(tus) (see decrease) + -mentum -ment

Related formsdec·re·men·tal

[dek-ruh-men-tl] /ˌdɛk rəˈmɛn tl/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for decremental

decrement

noun

the act of decreasing; diminution

maths a negative increment

physics a measure of the damping of an oscillator, expressed by the ratio of the amplitude of a cycle to its amplitude after one period

(of spectra) a sequence of related spectrum lines decaying in intensity, e.g. Balmer decay

Word Origin for decrement

C17: from Latin dēcrēmentum, from dēcrescere to decrease

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for decremental

decrement

1620s, from Latin decrementum "diminution," from stem of decrescere (see decrease).