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| antiseptic |
a substance or drug that kills germs that cause disease or decay. |
| bacteria |
microscopic organisms that often play a role in the decay of living things, the process of fermentation, and sometimes in causing disease. Bacteria are each made up of only one cell, but different kinds of bacteria can take different shapes. These organisms live in all parts of the earth including oceans, deserts, glaciers, hot springs, and in the bodies of most living things. While some kinds of bacteria are dangerous, most kinds are useful because they help in the digestion of food, in the making of soil, in the creation of medicines, and in many other natural processes. |
| carbon dioxide |
Carbon dioxide is a gas that is made up of the chemical elements oxygen and carbon. This gas has no color or smell. Carbon dioxide is produced in many different ways. People put a little carbon dioxide into the air every time they breathe out. Carbon dioxide is also made by the burning of fuels, and it is created when plants die and decay. Carbon dioxide is often written CO2 and pronounced "see oh two." |
| caries |
bone or tooth decay. |
| crumble |
to fall into small bits; decay. [1/2 definitions] |
| decay |
When a living thing decays, it breaks down through a slow, natural process. Plants begin to decay when they die. Often, when things decay, there is a bad smell. [3/4 definitions] |
| decompose |
to decay. |
| dilapidated |
fallen into ruin or decay. |
| ebb |
to weaken or become less; decay. [1/3 definitions] |
| filling |
A filling is a material that a dentist puts into a tooth to fix the tooth when there is a cavity. A cavity is a small hole in a tooth that is caused by decay. Cavities in your teeth are not good, but fillings can help you keep using your teeth and can help stop more decay. Decay is a process that breaks down teeth and can destroy them little by little. [1/3 definitions] |
| fluorine |
a substance that is a chemical element. Fluorine combines easily with other elements to form compounds. Some of these compounds are used to prevent tooth decay. Fluorine is poisonous in its pure gas form. (symbol: F) |
| radioactive |
giving off energy as a result of the decay of unstable atoms. |
| radioactivity |
the giving off of energy as a result of the decay of unstable atoms. |
| rot |
to decompose or decay. [2/4 definitions] |
| ruin |
(usually plural) a state of destruction or decay. [2/8 definitions] |
| spoil |
to go rotten; decay. [1/4 definitions] |
| spoiled |
of food, beginning to decay. [1/3 definitions] |
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