WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : De*gen"er*ate
Part of Speech : a.
Etymology : [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.]
Definition : 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.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913

Pronunciation : De*gen"er*ate
Part of Speech : v.
Definition : 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. (Biol.)

Defn: To fall off from the normal quality or the healthy structure of its kind; to become of a lower type.

i. [imp. & p. p. Degenerated; p. pr. & vb. n. Degenerating.]
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913