putrefaction

First attested between 1350 and 1400 from Middle English putrefaccioun, from Old French putrefaccïon, from Latin putrefactiō, from putrefactus, perfect passive participle of putrefaciō (“become rotten”)^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˌpjuːtɹəˈfækʃən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

putrefaction (countable and uncountable, plural putrefactions)

1. The act of causing to rot; the anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of malodorous, incompletely oxidized products.
2. Rotten material.
3. The state of being rotten.

• putrescent
• putrefactive
• putrefacient
• putrefy
• putrid

Borrowed from Latin putrefactiō.

putrefaction oblique singular, f (oblique plural putrefactions, nominative singular putrefaction, nominative plural putrefactions)

1. (medicine) rot; rottenness