degeneracy

English

Etymology

From degenerate +‎ -cy.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈdʒɛnəɹəsi/

Noun

degeneracy (countable and uncountable, plural degeneracies)

1. The state of being degenerate (in all senses).
   • 1893, Circulars of Information of the Bureau of Education, United States. Office of Education, page 133:

     Inveterate abuse of drinking in nonhereditarily disposed persons creates a degeneracy like the hereditary.

2. (neuroscience) The ability of one part of the brain to take over another's function without being overexerted.

   Coordinate term: compensation

3. (mathematics) A limiting case of a class of objects which appears to be qualitatively different from (and usually simpler than) the rest of the class.

Derived terms

• nondegeneracy
• undegeneracy

 

Translations

degeneration — see degeneration