degenerate

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Having deteriorated, degraded or fallen from normal, coherent, balanced and desirable to…

   Having deteriorated, degraded or fallen from normal, coherent, balanced and desirable to undesirable and typically abnormal.

2. 2

   Having lost good or desirable qualities

   Having lost good or desirable qualities; hence also having bad character or habits, base, immoral, corrupt.

   • faint-hearted and degenerate king
   • But what can Cato do Againſt a World, a baſe degenerate World, That courts the Yoke, and bows the Neck to Cæſar?
   • As you grew more degenerate and base, I sent you millions of the croaking race
3. 3

   Having lost functionality in general.

4. ›+ 7 more definitionsshow fewer

   1. 4

      Having multiple domain elements correspond to one element of the range.

      • The genetic code is degenerate because a single amino acid can be coded by one of several codons.
   2. 5

      Qualitatively different, usually simpler, than typical objects of its class.

      • A degenerate circle, having radius zero, consists of a single point.
      • We now apply the geometrical construction explained in the appendix to the degenerate triangle ABC.
   3. 6

      Having multiple different (linearly independent) eigenvectors.

   4. 7

      Having the same quantum energy level.

   5. 8

      One who is degenerate, who has fallen from previous stature

      One who is degenerate, who has fallen from previous stature; an immoral or corrupt person.

      • In the cult of degenerates, acts of decency, kindness and modesty could be seen as acts of apostasy.
      • The undeveloped or mysterically confused thought which exists in savages is fully exemplified in the childish or crazy atavistic anthropomorphism and symbolism so prevalent among degenerates.
   6. 9

      To lose good or desirable qualities.

      • His condition continued to degenerate even after admission to hospital.
      • The haploid ovum is now called an ootid (Fig. 8—7). The second polar body degenerates, sometimes dividing before it dies.
   7. 10

      To cause to lose good or desirable qualities.

The neighborhood

• neighborregenerate
• neighborungenerate