putrefaction
noun
pu·tre·fac·tion
ˌpyü-trə-ˈfak-shən 
1
: the decomposition of organic matter
especially
: the typically anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of foul-smelling incompletely oxidized products
2
: the state of being putrefied : corruption
Synonyms
Examples of putrefaction in a Sentence
clearing the refrigerator of what the previous tenant had left behind was like taking a course in the advanced putrefaction of leftovers
Recent Examples on the Web
Kellogg’s thinking on constipation, that anything less than three bowel movements a day risked dangerous intestinal putrefaction, was shaped by the emerging germ theory of disease and the ascent of bacteriology as a discipline through the closing decades of the 19th century.
—
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Not the smell of putrefaction, though the novel is littered with rotting corpses.
—Nathaniel Rich, The New York Review of Books, 30 Nov. 2023
Gut bacteria, especially a class of microbes called Clostridia, spread through your organs and digest you from the inside out in a process called putrefaction.
—Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023
Once the body is out of sight underground, embalmed tissues eventually melt into a toxic putrefaction.
—Joan Meiners, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020
See all Example Sentences for putrefaction 
Elsa Richardson, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
Not the smell of putrefaction, though the novel is littered with rotting corpses.
—Nathaniel Rich, The New York Review of Books, 30 Nov. 2023
Gut bacteria, especially a class of microbes called Clostridia, spread through your organs and digest you from the inside out in a process called putrefaction.
—Jennifer Debruyn, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2023
Once the body is out of sight underground, embalmed tissues eventually melt into a toxic putrefaction.
—Joan Meiners, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2020
See all Example Sentences for putrefaction
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'putrefaction.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near putrefaction
Cite this Entry
“Putrefaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putrefaction. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
putrefaction
noun
pu·tre·fac·tion
ˌpyü-trə-ˈfak-shən
1
: the rotting of organic matter
2
: the state of being putrefied : corruption
Medical Definition
putrefaction
noun
pu·tre·fac·tion
ˌpyü-trə-ˈfak-shən
1
: the decomposition of organic matter
especially
: the typically anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of foul-smelling incompletely oxidized products
2
: the state of being putrefied
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