putrefaction
Americannoun
-
the act or process of putrefying; the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by bacteria and fungi that results in obnoxiously odorous products; rotting.
-
the state of being putrefied; decay.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of putrefaction
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin putrefactiōn- (stem of putrefactiō ) a rotting, equivalent to Latin putrefact ( us ) (past participle of putrefacere to putrefy ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you suspect that something in your yard is in a state of putrefaction, there's probably something stinky and rotten out there. The relatives of this word in English all resemble it and fit neatly into one meaning category, "rotten." The mother of them all is putrid, from Latin putris, "rotten." This leads to putrefy, which means "make rotten," and finally putrefaction, the process of rotting or a state of being rotten. The ending is -faction rather than -fication on the pattern of many nouns that have Latin facere in their pasts: benefaction, malefaction, and liquefaction — to name a few.
Vocabulary lists containing putrefaction
Make Do: Fac
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Grendel
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All Quiet on the Western Front
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Putrefaction, man's constant companion, is treated under the general heading "Vilenesses Various," including paragraphs on "Bad Breath and Toothpicks," "Plate and Knife Licking" and "Discarded Hairs and Nails."
From Time Magazine Archive
Putrefaction is not possible under conditions that preclude the development of living organisms.
From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section P and Q by Project Gutenberg
Putrefaction is fermentation in which the products of decay are ill-smelling.
From An Introduction to Chemical Science by Williams, Rufus Phillips
Putrefaction starts rapidly, and the fish must be handled promptly.
From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall
Then followed Putrefaction, necessary for the germination of the seed which had been produced by calcination, dissolution, and conjunction.
From The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry by Muir, M. M. Pattison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
