Webster's English Dictionary

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degrade

Cross references:
  1. abase                 
 
de.grade \di-'gra-d, 'de--\ vb [ME degraden, fr. MF degrader, fr. LL 
   degradare, fr. L de-] + gradus step, grade 1a: to lower in grade, rank, or 
   status : DEMOTE  1b: to strip of rank or honors  1c: to deprive of standing 
   or true function : PERVERT  1d: to scale down in desirability or salability 
    2: to bring to low esteem or disrepute  3: to drag down in moral or 
   intellectual character : CORRUPT  4: to impair in respect to some physical 
   property  5: to wear down by erosion  6: to reduce the complexity of (a 
   chemical compound) : DECOMPOSE  : to pass from a higher grade or class to a 
   lower  - de.grad.er n