Main Entry: ¹de·gen·er·ate

Pronunciation: \di-ˈjen-rət, -ˈje-nə-, dē-\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English degenerat, from Latin degeneratus, past participle of degenerare to degenerate, from de- + gener-, genus race, kind — more at kin

Date: 15th century

1 a : having declined or become less specialized (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state b : having sunk to a condition below that which is normal to a type; especially : having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state c : degraded 2
2 : being mathematically simpler (as by having a factor or constant equal to zero) than the typical case <a degenerate hyperbola>
3 : characterized by atoms stripped of their electrons and by very great density <degenerate matter>; also : consisting of degenerate matter <a degenerate star>
4 : having two or more states or subdivisions <degenerate energy level>
5 : having more than one codon representing an amino acid; also : being such a codon

synonyms see vicious

— de·gen·er·ate·ly adverb

— de·gen·er·ate·ness noun