from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Degradation \Deg`ra*da"tion\, n. [LL. degradatio, from
degradare: cf. F. d['e]gradation. See {Degrade}.]
1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or
of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in
office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a
peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop.
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He saw many removes and degradations in all the
other offices of which he had been possessed.
--Clarendon.
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2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or
reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual
degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
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The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters.
--Macaulay.
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Deplorable is the degradation of our nature.
--South.
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Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is
sensible of the degradation of his state. --Blair.
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3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value;
degeneration; deterioration.
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The development and degradation of the alphabetic
forms can be traced. --I. Taylor
(The
Alphabet).
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4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and
banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
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5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which
exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
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The degradation of the species man is observed in
some of its varieties. --Dana.
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6. (Physiol.) Arrest of development, or degeneration of any
organ, or of the body as a whole.
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{Degradation of energy}, or {Dissipation of energy}
(Physics), the transformation of energy into some form in
which it is less available for doing work.
Syn: Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Energy \En"er*gy\, n.; pl. {Energies}. [F. ['e]nergie, LL.
energia, fr. Gr.?, fr. ? active; ? in + ? work. See {In}, and
{Work}.]
1. Internal or inherent power; capacity of acting, operating,
or producing an effect, whether exerted or not; as, men
possessing energies may suffer them to lie inactive.
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The great energies of nature are known to us only by
their effects. --Paley.
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2. Power efficiently and forcibly exerted; vigorous or
effectual operation; as, the energy of a magistrate.
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3. Strength of expression; force of utterance; power to
impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit; --
said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style full
of energy.
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4. (Physics) Capacity for performing work.
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Note: The kinetic energy of a body is the energy it has in
virtue of being in motion. It is measured by one half
of the product of the mass of each element of the body
multiplied by the square of the velocity of the
element, relative to some given body or point. The
available kinetic energy of a material system
unconnected with any other system is that energy which
is due to the motions of the parts of the system
relative to its center of mass. The potential energy of
a body or system is that energy which is not kinetic;
-- energy due to configuration. Kinetic energy is
sometimes called actual energy. Kinetic energy is
exemplified in the vis viva of moving bodies, in heat,
electric currents, etc.; potential energy, in a bent
spring, or a body suspended a given distance above the
earth and acted on by gravity.
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{Accumulation}, {Conservation}, {Correlation}, & {Degradation
of energy}, etc. (Physics) See under {Accumulation},
{Conservation}, {Correlation}, etc.
Syn: Force; power; potency; vigor; strength; spirit;
efficiency; resolution.
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