decrement

views updated May 09 2018

dec·re·ment / ˈdekrəmənt/ • n. a reduction or diminution. ∎  an amount by which something is reduced or diminished:. ∎  Physics the ratio of the amplitudes in successive cycles of a damped oscillation.• v. [tr.] chiefly Comput. cause a discrete reduction in (a numerical quantity): the instruction decrements the accumulator by one.

decrement

views updated May 23 2018

decrement decrease, lessening. XVII. — L. dēcrēmentum, f. dēcrē-, stem of dēcrēscere DECREASE; see -MENT.