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
- putrefacient adjective
- putrefactive adjective
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
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.
“At death, virus replication stops and putrefaction and heat begins to neutralize live virus,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2024
Clostridium septicum is one species of bacteria involved in putrefaction.
From Salon • Oct. 2, 2023
"He's in the putrefaction stage now, because of the water."
From BBC • Sep. 17, 2023
“It is a laborious process because generally the bodies are in a putrefaction stage, many individual characteristics have been lost,” Pachar said.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2021
Our village was blessed for weeks with the smell of putrefaction.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
