Defn: The act of depriving, as of furniture, apparatus, or a garrison. [R.]
DEGENDER; DEGENER
De*gen"der, De*gen"er, v. i. Etym: [See Degenerate.]
Defn: To degenerate. [Obs.] "Degendering to hate." Spenser.
He degenereth into beastliness. Joye.
DEGENERACY
De*gen"er*a*cy, n. Etym: [From Degenerate, a.]
1. The act of becoming degenerate; a growing worse. Willful degeneracy from goodness. Tillotson.
2. The state of having become degenerate; decline in good qualities;
deterioration; meanness.
Degeneracy of spirit in a state of slavery. Addison.
To recover mankind out of their universal corruption and degeneracy.
S. Clarke.
DEGENERATE De*gen"er*ate, a. Etym: [L. degeneratus, p. p. of degenerare to degenerate, cause to degenerate, fr. degener base, degenerate, that departs from its race or kind; de- + genus race, kind. See Kin relationship.]
Defn: Having become worse than one's kind, or one's former state; having declined in worth; having lost in goodness; deteriorated; degraded; unworthy; base; low. Faint-hearted and degenerate king. Shak. A degenerate and degraded state. Milton. Degenerate from their ancient blood. Swift. These degenerate days. Pope. I had planted thee a noble vine . . . : how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me Jer. ii. 21.
DEGENERATE
De*gen"er*ate, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Degenerated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Degenerating.]
1. To be or grow worse than one's kind, or than one was originally; hence, to be inferior; to grow poorer, meaner, or more vicious; to decline in good qualities; to deteriorate. When wit transgresseth decency, it degenerates into insolence and impiety. Tillotson.