I. ˈrät, usu -äd.+V verb
( rotted ; rotted ; rotting ; rots )
Etymology: Middle English roten, rotien, from Old English rotian; akin to Old High German rōzzēn to rot, Old Norse rotna to rot, Latin rudus rubble, broken stone — more at rude
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to undergo natural decomposition : decay as a result of the action of bacteria or fungi
causes the bones to rot
rotting wood
b. : to become unsound or weak (as from extended use or chemical action)
the rich silk damasks … were the first to rot away — Sheila O'Callaghan
ships rotting in the harbor
rotting ice
2.
a. : to go to ruin : deteriorate
sent to die on some jungle island … or to rot there month after month — Irwin Shaw
rot in jail
b. : to become morally corrupt : degenerate
a civilization that rotted and disappeared
3. : to suffer from rot — used especially of a plant
4. chiefly Britain : to talk nonsense : joke
I know I did, silly, but I was only rotting — Strand Magazine
transitive verb
1. : to cause to decompose
the heavy rains rotted the wheat
dampness had rotted spots of the plaster — Marcia Davenport
2. : to affect (as sheep) with rot
3. : to cause to deteriorate : corrupt
infected with the same decay as had rotted other great civilizations of the past — F.H.Cramer
4. : to expose (as flax) to a process of maceration for the purpose of separating the fiber : ret
5. chiefly Britain : to make fun of : tease
all felt that the family was being rotted — John Galsworthy
Synonyms: see decay
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic rot; akin to Old Norse rotna to rot
1.
a. : the process of rotting or state of being rotten : decay , putrefaction
the rot begins as soon as the fish are killed
b. : something that is rotten or rotting
the moist ferny odors, the rot and ordure … filled their senses — Norman Mailer
2.
a. archaic : a wasting putrescent disease in people
then the rot returns to thine own lips again — Shakespeare
b. : any of several parasitic diseases that chiefly attack sheep and are characterized by tissue necrosis and progressive emaciation ; specifically : liver rot
3.
a. : social or spiritual deterioration or corruption
the creeping rot of the society to which he belonged — Times Literary Supplement
b. : confusion or disorder especially in a government organization
organize the affairs of … the little state and stop the financial rot — Stephen Spender
4. : breakdown or decay of plant tissues caused especially by fungi or bacteria — see bitter rot , black rot , dry rot
5. : nonsense
talked rot about getting on in the world — A.H.Hawkins
— often used interjectionally to express disbelief or disgust
6. : the falling of several cricket wickets in quick succession
III. abbreviation
1. rotary
2. rotating; rotation
3. rotten