verb
    
    -poses; -posed; -posing
    
    to cause something (such as dead plants and the bodies of dead animals) to be slowly destroyed and broken down by natural processes, chemicals, etc. [+ obj]
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    synonyms see1decay</SYNR
    
    technical :to cause something (such as a chemical) to be separated into smaller or simpler parts [+ obj]