decade
//ˈdɛkeɪd//
Forms
- Plural
- decades
Definitions
1.A group, set, or series of ten , particularly
2.A group, set, or series of ten
- The 1960s was a turbulent decade.
- I haven’t seen my cousin in over a decade!
- Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades.
3.A set of resistors, capacitors, etc. connected so as to provide even increments between one and ten times a base electrical resistance.
4.The interval between any two quantities having a ratio of 10 to 1.
- There are decades between 1.8 and 18, between 25 and 250 and between 0.03 and 0.003.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #807
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English decade, from Old French decade, from Late Latin decādem (“(set of) ten”), from Ancient Greek δεκάς (dekás), from δέκα (déka, “ten”).
In reference to a span of ten years, originally a clipping of the phrase decade of years.
By surface analysis, dec- + -ade.