| degenerate | 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) Origin: 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. 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) 2. <biology> To fall off from the normal quality or the healthy structure of its kind; to become of a lower type. Origin: Degenerated; Degenerating. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| degenerate code | <molecular biology> The fact that in most cases in the genetic code used by all life on Earth, one particular amino acid is specified by more than one three-base combination of the four nitrogenous bases (called a codon). There are enough different codons to specify 64 different amino acids, but there are in actuality only 20 amino acids (and three stop codons) used in the making of proteins. (09 Oct 1997) |
| degenerate configuration | <radiobiology> Magnetic field configuration in which the magnetic lines of force close exactly on themselves after passing around the configuration a finite number of times. (09 Oct 1997) |