adipocere

American  

[ad-uh-poh-seer] / ˈæd ə poʊˌsɪər /

noun

1. a waxy substance produced by the decomposition of dead animal bodies in moist burial places or under water.

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adipocere British  

/ ˌædɪˈpɒsərəs, ˌædɪpəʊˈsɪə, ˈædɪpəʊˌsɪə /

noun

1. Nontechnical name: grave-wax.  a waxlike fatty substance formed during the decomposition of corpses

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Other Word Forms

• adipocerous adjective

Etymology

Origin of adipocere

1795–1805; < French adipocire, equivalent to adipo- adipo- + cire wax < Latin cēra; English e by association with cēra; cere ²

Example Sentences

The fat had reacted with moisture to create a waxy substance called adipocere, which can protect a body from decay.

From Scientific American • Oct. 28, 2022

Geochemical analysis then revealed the rotting balls were made of tilapia adipocere, a hard, waxy substance that feels slippery, like soap, Simpson said.

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2013

In the Salton Sea, tilapia adipocere is tinted orange to brown.

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2013

Other postmortem changes, such as adipocere, the decomposition of fat, can preserve the appearance of a body’s soft tissues for years but interfere with an autopsy because it makes the tissue crumbly and chalky.

From Slate • Nov. 5, 2012

And all these bones were also entirely free from marks or scratches such as would naturally occur in an ordinary dismemberment, and all were quite free from adipocere.

From The Vanishing Man by Freeman, R. Austin (Richard Austin)