The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Degradation \Deg`ra*da"tion\, n. [LL. degradatio, from
   degradare: cf. F. d['e]gradation. See Degrade.]
   1. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or
      of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in
      office or society; diminution; as, the degradation of a
      peer, a knight, a general, or a bishop.
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            He saw many removes and degradations in all the
            other offices of which he had been possessed.
                                                  --Clarendon.
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   2. The state of being reduced in rank, character, or
      reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual
      degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
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            The . . . degradation of a needy man of letters.
                                                  --Macaulay.
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            Deplorable is the degradation of our nature.
                                                  --South.
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            Moments there frequently must be, when a sinner is
            sensible of the degradation of his state. --Blair.
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   3. Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value;
      degeneration; deterioration.
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            The development and degradation of the alphabetic
            forms can be traced.                  --I. Taylor
                                                  (The
                                                  Alphabet).
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   4. (Geol.) A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and
      banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
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   5. (Biol.) The state or condition of a species or group which
      exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
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            The degradation of the species man is observed in
            some of its varieties.                --Dana.
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   6. (Physiol.) Arrest of development, or degeneration of any
      organ, or of the body as a whole.
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   Degradation of energy, or Dissipation of energy
      (Physics), the transformation of energy into some form in
      which it is less available for doing work.

   Syn: Abasement; debasement; reduction; decline.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Energy \En"er*gy\, n.; pl. Energies. [F. ['e]nergie, LL.
   energia, fr. Gr.?, fr. ? active; ? in + ? work. See In, and
   Work.]
   1. Internal or inherent power; capacity of acting, operating,
      or producing an effect, whether exerted or not; as, men
      possessing energies may suffer them to lie inactive.
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            The great energies of nature are known to us only by
            their effects.                        --Paley.
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   2. Power efficiently and forcibly exerted; vigorous or
      effectual operation; as, the energy of a magistrate.
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   3. Strength of expression; force of utterance; power to
      impress the mind and arouse the feelings; life; spirit; --
      said of speech, language, words, style; as, a style full
      of energy.
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   4. (Physics) Capacity for performing work.
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   Note: The kinetic energy of a body is the energy it has in
         virtue of being in motion. It is measured by one half
         of the product of the mass of each element of the body
         multiplied by the square of the velocity of the
         element, relative to some given body or point. The
         available kinetic energy of a material system
         unconnected with any other system is that energy which
         is due to the motions of the parts of the system
         relative to its center of mass. The potential energy of
         a body or system is that energy which is not kinetic;
         -- energy due to configuration. Kinetic energy is
         sometimes called actual energy. Kinetic energy is
         exemplified in the vis viva of moving bodies, in heat,
         electric currents, etc.; potential energy, in a bent
         spring, or a body suspended a given distance above the
         earth and acted on by gravity.
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   Accumulation, Conservation, Correlation, & Degradation
   of energy, etc. (Physics) See under Accumulation,
      Conservation, Correlation, etc.

   Syn: Force; power; potency; vigor; strength; spirit;
        efficiency; resolution.
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