dry-rot

1 of 2

verb

ˈdrī-ˌrät 

dry-rotted; dry-rotting; dry-rots

transitive verb

: to affect with dry rot

intransitive verb

: to become affected with dry rot

dry rot

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a decay of seasoned timber caused by fungi that consume the cellulose of wood leaving a soft skeleton which is readily reduced to powder

b

: a fungal rot of plant tissue in which the affected areas are dry and often firmer than normal or more or less mummified

2

: a fungus causing dry rot

3

: decay from within caused especially by resistance to new forces

Examples of dry-rot in a Sentence

Noun

The windowsill was badly damaged by dry rot.

Dry rot had eaten away part of the beam.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

How insurance does — and doesn’t — cover mold Today, standard homeowners policies typically do not cover mold, fungus, wet or dry rot, unless that damage is the result of a covered peril, according to Insurance.com. —Genna Contino, CNBC, 11 Aug. 2024

The original kitchen cabinets had been painted a dismal harvest gold color, and dry rot had settled in behind the tile that had been inexplicably installed over the original mahogany paneling in the bathrooms. —Mark David, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024

The wood had badly deteriorated: There was dry rot, termites and water damage. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024

Decades of wind and rain rolling in from the North Atlantic Ocean had left the 1920s house suffering from damp and both wet and dry rot. —Ruth Bloomfield, wsj.com, 9 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1870, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

dry rot

noun

: decay of dried timber in which the cellulose of wood is used for food by fungi leaving a soft skeleton that easily crumbles to powder