rot

[ rot ]

/ rɒt /

See synonyms for rot on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), rot·ted, rot·ting.

to undergo decomposition; decay.

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

to languish, as in confinement.

to become morally corrupt or offensive.

verb (used with object), rot·ted, rot·ting.

to cause to rot: Dampness rots wood.

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

to ret (flax, hemp, etc.).

noun

the process of rotting.

the state of being rotten; decay; putrefaction: the rot of an old house.

rotting or rotten matter: the rot and waste of a swamp.

moral or social decay or corruption.

Pathology. any disease characterized by decay.

Plant Pathology.

any of various forms of decay produced by fungi or bacteria.
any disease so characterized.

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.

nonsense.

interjection

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

SYNONYMS FOR rot

1 mold, molder, putrefy, spoil.

9 decomposition, mold.

See synonyms for rot on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR rot

4, 6 purify.

See antonyms for rot on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

THIS PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ IS PERFECT PRACTICE FOR THE REAL TEST

In our third teacher-created PSAT practice test there are new and unique vocabulary terms you may have never heard of! Can you guess what they mean?

Question 1 of 10

seclusion

a false belief or opinion.

the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

the state of being isolated, kept apart, or withdrawn into solitude.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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.); cf. ret, rotten)

synonym study for rot

1. See decay.

OTHER WORDS FROM rot

half-rotted, adjectiveun·rot·ted, adjective

Definition for rot (2 of 3)

ROT

rule of thumb.

Definition for rot (3 of 3)

rot.

abbreviation

rotating.

rotation.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for rot

Their house, which has never been painted, is sagging and rotted and porous.
American Dreams: ‘Tobacco Road’ by Erskine Caldwell|Nathaniel Rich|April 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The rice had remained a mystery to the last, and the officers puzzled over the fact that it had not rotted entirely.
The Adventures of Piang the Moro Jungle Boy|Florence Partello Stuart
Nine of Jove's years are gone; the timbers of our ships have rotted; their tackling is sound no longer.
The Iliad|Homer
One raker, or diagonal strut, was rotted half through its thickness, and many other timbers were badly decayed.
The Anatomy of Bridgework|William Henry Thorpe

In other cases, they fail to do so till they have rotted on the plant.
The Philippine Islands|Ramon Reyes Lala
Water seeped into the gulches till the creek ice was worn and rotted.
The Crimson Gardenia and Other Tales of Adventure|Rex Beach

British Dictionary definitions for rot (1 of 2)

rot¹

/ (rɒt) /

verb rots, rotting or rotted

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

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

(intr) to become weak, debilitated, or depressed through inertia, confinement, etc; languishrotting in prison

to become or cause to become morally corrupt or degenerate

(tr) textiles another word for ret

noun

the process of rotting or the state of being rotten

something decomposed, disintegrated, or degenerateRelated adjective: putrid

short for dry rot

pathol any putrefactive decomposition of tissues

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

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

(also interjection) nonsense; rubbish

Word Origin for rot

Old English rotian (vb); related to Old Norse rotna . C13 (noun), from Scandinavian

British Dictionary definitions for rot (2 of 2)

rot²

abbreviation for

rotation (of a mathematical function)

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

Scientific definitions for rot

rot

[ rŏt ]

Verb

To undergo decomposition, especially organic decomposition; decay.

Noun

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

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rot

verb (used without object), rot·ted, rot·ting.

verb (used with object), rot·ted, rot·ting.