decrease

Etymology

From Middle English decresen, alteration of discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere.

verb

1. (intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.
   The quality of our products has decreased since the main designer left.
2. (transitive) To make (a quantity) smaller.
   Let's decrease the volume a little so we can hear each other talking.

noun

1. An amount by which a quantity decreases or is decreased.
   After six years of constant growth, the company reported a slight decrease in sales last year.
   One research team has recorded Baishui’s decrease at about 27 meters per year over the last 10 years. File:One research team has recorded Baishui’s decrease.ogg
2. (knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).