rot

¹ American  

[rot] / rɒt /

verb (used without object)

rotted, rotting

1. to undergo decomposition; decay.

   Synonyms:

   spoil, putrefy, molder, mold

2. to deteriorate, disintegrate, fall, or become weak due to decay (often followed by away, from, off, etc.).

3. to languish, as in confinement.

4. to become morally corrupt or offensive.

   Antonyms:

   purify

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verb (used with object)

rotted, rotting

1. to cause to rot.

   Dampness rots wood.

2. to cause moral decay in; cause to become morally corrupt.

   Antonyms:

   purify

3. to ret (flax, hemp, etc.).

noun

1. the process of rotting.

2. the state of being rotten; decay; putrefaction.

   the rot of an old house.

   Synonyms:

   mold, decomposition

3. rotting or rotten matter.

   the rot and waste of a swamp.

4. moral or social decay or corruption.

5. Pathology. any disease characterized by decay.

6. Plant Pathology.

   1. any of various forms of decay produced by fungi or bacteria.

   2. any disease so characterized.

7. Veterinary Pathology. a bacterial infection of sheep and cattle characterized by decay of the hoofs, caused by Fusobacterium necrophorum in cattle and Bacteroides nodosus in sheep.

8. nonsense.

interjection

1. (used to express disagreement, distaste, or disgust.)

rot. ² American  

abbreviation

1. rotating.

2. rotation.

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ROT ³ American  

1. rule of thumb.

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rot ¹ British  

/ rɒt /

verb

1. to decay or cause to decay as a result of bacterial or fungal action

2. (intr; usually foll by off or away) to fall or crumble (off) or break (away), as from natural decay, corrosive action, or long use

3. (intr) to become weak, debilitated, or depressed through inertia, confinement, etc; languish

   rotting in prison

4. to become or cause to become morally corrupt or degenerate

5. (tr) textiles another word for ret

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noun

1. the process of rotting or the state of being rotten

2. something decomposed, disintegrated, or degenerate

3. short for dry rot

4. pathol any putrefactive decomposition of tissues

5. a condition in plants characterized by breakdown and decay of tissues, caused by bacteria, fungi, etc

6. vet science a contagious fungal disease of the feet of sheep characterized by inflammation, swelling, a foul-smelling discharge, and lameness

7. (also interjection) nonsense; rubbish

rot ² British  

abbreviation

1. rotation (of a mathematical function)

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rot Scientific  

/ rŏt /

1. To undergo decomposition, especially organic decomposition; decay.

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1. Any of several plant diseases characterized by the breakdown of tissue and caused by various bacteria or fungi.

Related Words

See decay.

Other Word Forms

• half-rotted adjective
• unrotted adjective

Etymology

Origin of rot

before 900; (v.) Middle English rot ( t ) en, Old English rotian, cognate with Frisian rotsje, Dutch rotten; (noun) Middle English, perhaps < Old Norse rot (perhaps partly derivative of the v.); ret, rotten )

Example Sentences

People eat these shows like candy, and while candy can rot your teeth and put on pounds, it can also deliver a jolt of guilty pleasure and feed a sugar addiction.

From Los Angeles Times

Rourke alleged that the floors were rotted, there was no running water in a couple of places there should have been and the place was infested with rodents.

From Los Angeles Times

The fear that using AI will “rot the human brain” is akin to the initial reluctance to allow graphing calculators in math classes, with teachers preferring graph paper instead.

From MarketWatch

They won back-to-back league matches against Aberdeen and Livingston to stop the rot, but were beaten 2-0 at Motherwell on Tuesday and collapsed in a dismal second-half at home to Rangers.

From BBC

Yet while soft tissue usually rots away, the lack of oxygen caused by the manner of the shark's death and more mud landing on top preserved the fish.

From BBC

Related Words

• break down
• crumble
• decay
• decompose
• disintegrate
• languish
• molder
• perish
• spoil
• stain
• warp
• wither