cad-, cas-, cid-

1. To accept the danger or risk of doing something: The writer decided to chance writing his non-fiction book even though he didn't think he could find a publisher who would be interested in it.
2. To happen or to takes place unexpectedly: Monroe chanced to hear a conversation outside his apartment that there would not be any hot water after 8 a.m. because the repairmen would be working on the heater at that time.

1. To deceive, to defraud, to swindle, or to attempt to take something in an illegal manner: One of the first lessons the students learned was that to cheat on their homework or on their tests would result in failing grades.

Bert's neighbor tried to cheat on his taxes, subs decided not to after all.

2. To take advantage of others by lying or breaking a rule: The store tried to cheat its customers with false advertising.

A narrow tube or sloping passage that things or people can go down or through: Fortunately, the aircraft had chutes that passengers could use to escape from the airplane before it caught fire after a short circuit in one of its engines.

1. To happen or to take place simultaneously, or at the same time as something else: Elaine's birthday coincides with the celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada, the second Monday of the month of October.

The neighbors, Patricia and Karen, get along very well with each other because their interests coincide.

2. Etymology: from French coincider (14th century); from Middle Latin coincidere; from Latin co-, "together" + incidere, "to fall upon" (in-, "upon" + cadere, "to fall").

1. The state or fact of occupying the same relative position or area in space: It was a coincidence that Doug was sitting next to Zena at the theater.
2. A sequence of events that, although accidental, seems to have been planned or arranged: The car crash seemed to be the result of several coincidences, such as the rain, slippery roads, and an unlighted section of the roadway.
3. A situation that might have been arranged although it was really a happenstance: When Jim attends Kate's birthday party, he wants it to look like a coincidence, even though he was carefully arranging it with her sons.

It was just by coincidence that the two ladies wore the same dress to the party.

4. A action of two things happening at the same time: Pete tried to create a coincidence in order to meet his girlfriend in the park by walking down one path, while she was walking down the same one but from a different direction.

Descriptive of something that is happening at the same time, or being in a position close to another object: An eclipse of the sun is caused when the moon is in a coincident position to it, passing between the Earth and the sun.

There is a coincident connection between animal hibernation and the approach of winter.

Related to something that occurs in an unplanned way: It was purely coincidental that Maggie and her friend both chose blue dresses to wear to their friend's birthday party.

Concerning something happening unexpectedly and unplanned at approximately the same time: Gladys and Isabel were talking when their friend, Kitty, coincidentally walked up and joined them in the conversation.

Pertaining to how something happens at the same time or at the same place: Bill and James coincidently met again five years after having graduated from the same class at the university.

Any behavior which demonstrates low morals and a fondness for physical pleasure, money, fame, etc.: In his sermon, the minister condemned the decadence of the past and of these modern times.

A reference to low moral standards and an abnormal love of physical pleasures, money, fame, etc.: In his sermon, the preacher condemned those who had chosen to live decadent lives. © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. Characteristic of how something is very pleasant and self indulging: Steve and Margret stayed in a decadently luxurious hotel room complete with decadently delicious food that was served to them.
2. Relating to how low morals and unrestrained desires for more money affect all kinds of self-indulgent pleasures: There are those who criticize the very wealthy for decadently increasing their corruption and immorality for their personal benefits.

1. The condition or process of being rotten or decomposition: Brian was told that hardwood is more resistant to decay than softwood.

Some fly larvae live in carrion and in animal flesh of varying stages of decay.

2. Structural or physical deterioration: The old barn on Hugo's farm was rapidly falling into decay.

Carnivorous larvae of some insects are produced in the decay of vegetation, in soil, and in rotten wood.

3. The process of declining in power, quality, or vigor: The local minister reminded his church members to avoid moral decay in their lives.
4. A gradual decrease in the magnitude of a physical amount: There is a possible decay of electrical fields in electromagnets.

1. To break down into component parts; rot: Gerda put the vegetable peelings in the compost pile so they can decay and create fertilizer that can be used in her garden.
2. In physics, to disintegrate or diminish by a radioactive process: The spent nuclear waste will decay in the underground storage tanks, according to the latest news reports from the government.
3. In electronics, to decrease gradually in magnitude with reference to voltage or current: During what are called "Brown Outs", the quality of light in the city's core actually decays due to the electrical circuits being overloaded.
4. In aerospace, to decrease in orbit; referring to an artificial man-made apparatus that orbits around the Earth: Towards the end of a satellite's life span in space, the orbit begins to decay and it appears to circle closer to the Earth's atmosphere.
5. To fall into ruin: Without good repairs to the infrastructure, bridges crossing rivers into cities will decay and fall apart.
6. In pathology, to decline in health or vigor; to waste away: The dentist cautioned that without regular teeth brushing, one's teeth will start to decay.
7. To decline from a state of normality, excellence, or prosperity; to deteriorate: There are days when Dora's mother is convinced that her memory is beginning to decay because she can't seem to remember specific dates, names, etc. as well as she could before.

1. Referring to organic matter which has decomposed or has been destroyed as a result of bacterial or fungal action and so it has become rotten: The decayed plants forming the compost will be spread in the garden in early spring.
2. Concerning something damaged by deterioration, hence unsound and useless: The decayed concrete supports for the bridge were unsound and the bridge was closed until repairs could be completed.