v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Decreased p. pr. & vb. n. Decreasing. ] [ OE. decrecen, fr. OF. decreistre, F. décroître, or from the OF. noun (see Decrease, n.), fr. L. decrescere to grow less; de + crescere to grow. See Crescent, and cf. Increase. ] To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc., or in strength, quality, or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December. [ 1913 Webster ]

He must increase, but I must decrease. John iii. 30.

Syn. -- To Decrease, Diminish. Things usually decrease or fall off by degrees, and from within, or through some cause which is imperceptible; as, the flood decreases; the cold decreases; their affection has decreased. Things commonly diminish by an influence from without, or one which is apparent; as, the army was diminished by disease; his property is diminishing through extravagance; their affection has diminished since their separation their separation. The turn of thought, however, is often such that these words may be interchanged. [ 1913 Webster ]

The olive leaf, which certainly them told
The flood decreased. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Crete's ample fields diminish to our eye;
Before the Boreal blasts the vessels fly. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means. [ 1913 Webster ]

That might decrease their present store. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. decrees, OF. decreis, fr. decreistre. See Decrease, v. ] 1. A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The wane of the moon. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. made less in size or amount or degree. Opposite of increased. [ Narrower terms: attenuate, attenuated, faded, weakened; belittled, diminished, small; cut, cut-rate; diminished, lessened; minimized; remittent; attenuated ]
Syn. -- reduced. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Suffering no decrease. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

It [ the river ] flows and flows, and yet will flow,
Volume decreaseless to the final hour. A. Seward. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Becoming less and less; diminishing. -- De*creas"ing*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

Decreasing series (Math.), a series in which each term is numerically smaller than the preceding term. [1913 Webster]

n. Destruction; -- opposed to creation. [ R. ] Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. decre, F. décret, fr. L. decretum, neut. decretus, p. p. of decernere to decide; de- + cernere to decide. See Certain, and cf. Decreet, Decretal. ] 1. An order from one having authority, deciding what is to be done by a subordinate; also, a determination by one having power, deciding what is to be done or to take place; edict, law; authoritative ru&unr_;&unr_; decision. “The decrees of Venice.” Sh&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;. [ 1913 Webster ]

There went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. Luke ii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

Poor hand, why quiverest thou at this decree? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) (a) A decision, order, or sentence, given in a cause by a court of equity or admiralty. (b) A determination or judgment of an umpire on a case submitted to him. Brande. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eccl.) An edict or law made by a council for regulating any business within their jurisdiction; as, the decrees of ecclesiastical councils.

Syn. -- Law; regulation; edict; ordinance. See Law. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decreed p. pr. & vb. n. Decreeing. ] 1. To determine judicially by authority, or by decree; to constitute by edict; to appoint by decree or law; to determine; to order; to ordain; as, a court decrees a restoration of property. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee. Job xxii. 28. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To ordain by fate. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To make decrees; -- used absolutely. [ 1913 Webster ]

Father eternal! thine is to decree;
Mine, both in heaven and earth to do thy will. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being decreed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who decrees. J. Goodwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Decree. ] (Scots Law) The final judgment of the Court of Session, or of an inferior court, by which the question at issue is decided. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. decrementum, fr. decrescere. See Decrease. ] 1. The state of becoming gradually less; decrease; diminution; waste; loss. [ 1913 Webster ]

Twit me with the decrements of my pendants. Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rocks, mountains, and the other elevations of the earth suffer a continual decrement. Woodward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The quantity lost by gradual diminution or waste; -- opposed to increment. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Crystallog.) A name given by Haüy to the successive diminution of the layers of molecules, applied to the faces of the primitive form, by which he supposed the secondary forms to be produced. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Math.) The quantity by which a variable is diminished. [ 1913 Webster ]

Equal decrement of life. (a) The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that of a given large number of persons, all being now of the same age, an equal number shall die each consecutive year. (b) The decrease of life in a group of persons in which the assumed law of mortality is such that the ratio of those dying in a year to those living through the year is constant, being independent of the age of the persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decrepitus, perhaps orig., noised out, noiseless, applied to old people, who creep about quietly; de- + crepare to make a noise, rattle: cf. F. décrépit. See Crepitate. ] Broken down with age; wasted and enfeebled by the infirmities of old age; feeble; worn out. “Beggary or decrepit age.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Already decrepit with premature old age. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Sometimes incorrectly written decrepid. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Decrepitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Decrepitating. ] [ Cf. F. décrépiter. ] To roast or calcine so as to cause a crackling noise; as, to decrepitate salt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To crackle, as salt in roasting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décrépitation. ] The act of decrepitating; a crackling noise, such as salt makes when roasting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Decrepitude. [ R. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. décrépitude. ] The broken state produced by decay and the infirmities of age; infirm old age. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. & adv. [ It. ] (Mus.) With decreasing volume of sound; -- a direction to performers, either written upon the staff (abbreviated Dec., or Decresc.), or indicated by the sign. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decrescens, p. pr. of decrescere. See Decrease. ] Becoming less by gradual diminution; decreasing; as, a decrescent moon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Her.) A crescent with the horns directed towards the sinister. Cussans. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decretalis, fr. decretum. See Decree. ] Appertaining to a decree; containing a decree; as, a decretal epistle. Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. decretale, neut. of L. decretalis. See Decretal, a. ] 1. (R. C. Ch.) An authoritative order or decree; especially, a letter of the pope, determining some point or question in ecclesiastical law. The decretals form the second part of the canon law. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Canon Law) The collection of ecclesiastical decrees and decisions made, by order of Gregory IX., in 1234, by St. Raymond of Pennafort. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. decretum. See Decree. ] A decree. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From L. decrescere, decretum. See Decrease. ] A decrease. [ Obs. ] Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. decretista, fr. decretum: cf. F. décrétiste. See Decree, n. ] One who studies, or professes the knowledge of, the decretals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From L. decretum. See Decree, n. ] Having the force of a decree; determining. [ 1913 Webster ]

The will of God is either decretive or perceptive. Bates. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Decretory; authoritative. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a decretory or definitive manner; by decree. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decretorius, from decretum. See Decree. ] 1. Established by a decree; definitive; settled. [ 1913 Webster ]

The decretory rigors of a condemning sentence. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Serving to determine; critical. “The critical or decretory days.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ F. décrue, n., decrease, and décru, p. p. of décroître. See Decrease, and cf. Accrue. ] To decrease. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. [ Pref. un- not + decreed. ] Not decreed. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ 1st pref. un- + decree. ] Reversed or nullified by decree, as something previously decreed. [ 1913 Webster ]