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putrescent

[ pyoo-tres-uh nt ]
/ pyuˈtrɛs ənt /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR putrescent ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

becoming putrid; undergoing putrefaction.
of or relating to putrefaction.

RELATED WORDS

disagreeable, putrid, tainted, musty, smelly, moldy, stale, fetid, soured, polluted, contaminated, noxious, rotting, disgusting, rancid, sour, spoiled, corrupt, overripe, addled

Nearby words

  1. putrefacient,
  2. putrefaction,
  3. putrefactive,
  4. putrefy,
  5. putrescence,
  6. putrescible,
  7. putrescine,
  8. putrid,
  9. putridity,
  10. putridly

Origin of putrescent

1725–35; < Latin putrēscent- (stem of putrēscēns), present participle of putrēscere to grow rotten
Related formspu·tres·cence, pu·tres·cen·cy, nounnon·pu·tres·cence, nounnon·pu·tres·cent, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for putrescent

British Dictionary definitions for putrescent

putrescent

/ (pjuːˈtrɛsənt) /

adjective

becoming putrid; rotting
characterized by or undergoing putrefaction
Derived Formsputrescence, noun

Word Origin for putrescent

C18: from Latin putrescere to become rotten
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for putrescent

putrescent

adj.

1732, a back-formation from putrescence, or else from Latin putrescentem (nominative putrescens), present participle of putrescere "grow rotten, moulder, decay," inchoative of putrere "be rotten" (see putrid).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for putrescent

putrescent

[ pyōō-trĕs′ənt ]

adj.

Becoming putrid; putrefying.
Of or relating to putrefaction.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.