putrefaction

American  

[pyoo-truh-fak-shuhn] / ˌpyu trəˈfæk ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of putrefying; the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by bacteria and fungi that results in obnoxiously odorous products; rotting.

2. the state of being putrefied; decay.

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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

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.

Example Sentences

“At death, virus replication stops and putrefaction and heat begins to neutralize live virus,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2024

The putrefaction of flesh caused many corpses to inflate.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 27, 2023

Gut bacteria, especially a class of microbes called Clostridia, spread through your organs and digest you from the inside out in a process called putrefaction.

From Salon • Oct. 2, 2023

"He's in the putrefaction stage now, because of the water."

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2023

“Bad health is the primary reason for all life. Created by disease, within putrefaction, into decay. Versh.”

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner