rot

Definition

To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English roten, rotten, from Old English rotian (“to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy”), from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”).

Example Sentences

• "The apple left in the cupboard all that time had started to rot."
• "Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot, / To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot."
• "Your brain will rot if you spend so much time on the computer, Tony!"