Deg·ra·da·tion n.
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.
He saw many removes and degradations in all the other offices of which he had been possessed. --Clarendon.
2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters. --Macaulay.
Deplorable is the degradation of our nature. --South.
Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is sensible of the degradation of his state. --Blair.
3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.
The development and degradation of the alphabetic forms can be traced. --I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
4. Geol. A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
5. Biol. The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
The degradation of the species man is observed in some of its varieties. --Dana.
6. Physiol. Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole.
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.
◄ ►
Dis·si·pa·tion n.
1. The act of dissipating or dispersing; a state of dispersion or separation; dispersion; waste.
Without loss or dissipation of the matter. --Bacon.
The famous dissipation of mankind. --Sir M. Hale.
2. A dissolute course of life, in which health, money, etc., are squandered in pursuit of pleasure; profuseness in vicious indulgence, as late hours, riotous living, etc.; dissoluteness.
To reclaim the spendthrift from his dissipation and extravagance. --P. Henry.
3. A trifle which wastes time or distracts attention.
Prevented from finishing them [the letters] a thousand avocations and dissipations. --Swift.
Dissipation of energy. Same as Degradation of energy, under Degradation.
◄ ►