English Vocabulary (A - D)

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decline

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

de·cline / diˈklīn/ • v. 1. [intr.] become smaller, fewer, or less; decrease. ∎ diminish in strength or quality; deteriorate. [as adj.] (declining) declining educational standards. 2. [tr.] politely refuse (an invitation or offer). ∎ politely refuse to do something: the company declined to comment. 3. [intr.] (esp. of the sun) move downward. ∎ archaic bend down; droop. 4. [tr.] (in the grammar of Latin, Greek, and certain other languages) state the forms of (a noun, pronoun, or adjective) corresponding to cases, number, and gender. • n. [in sing.] a gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, or quality. ∎ a fall in value or price. ∎ archaic the gradual setting of the sun. ∎ archaic any disease in which bodily strength gradually fails, esp. tuberculosis. DERIVATIVES: de·clin·a·ble adj. de·clin·er n.

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decline

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

decline turn aside, deviate (trans. and intr.); bend or go down; (gram.) inflect XIV; turn aside or away from XV. — (O)F. décliner — L. dēclīnāre, f. DE- 2 + clīnāre bend, cogn. with Gr. klinein bend; cf. LEAN 2.
Hence decline sb. XIV. So declination (astron.) XIV; †(gram.) declension XV; turning aside or down XVI. — L.

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T. F. HOAD. "decline." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "decline." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-decline.html

T. F. HOAD. "decline." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-decline.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Are decline rates really exponential? Evidence from the UK Continental Shelf. Magazine article from: The Energy Journal; 1/1/2005
	The Decline in Physical Activity Among Adolescent Students Magazine article from: Canadian Journal of Public Health; 3/1/2007
	The decline of syrah. Magazine article from: Wines & Vines; 2/1/2002