Rot

Pronunciation

• GenAM IPA: ɹɑt
• Rhymes: -É’t

Origin

From Middle English rotten, roten, from Old English rotian ("to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy"), from Proto-Germanic *rutōną ("to rot"), from Proto-Indo-European *reud- ("to tear"), from *reu- ("to tear, dig, gather"). Cognate with West Frisian rotsje ("to rot"), Dutch rotten ("to rot"), German rößen ("to steep flax") and German verrotten ("to rot"), Icelandic rotna ("to rot"). See rotten.

Full definition of rot

Verb

1. (intransitive) To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.
• Alexander PopeFixed like a plant on his peculiar spot,
  To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot.
2. (intransitive) To decline in function or utility.
3. (intransitive) To deteriorate in any way.I hope they all rot in prison for what they've done.
• MacaulayFour of the sufferers were left to rot in irons.
• ThackerayRot, poor bachelor, in your club.
4. (transitive) To make putrid; to cause to be wholly or partially decomposed by natural processes.to rot vegetable fiber
5. (transitive) To expose, as flax, to a process of maceration, etc., for the purpose of separating the fiber; to ret.

Derived terms

• potter's rot

Noun

1. The process of becoming rotten; putrefaction.
2. Any of several diseases in which breakdown of tissue occurs.
• MiltonHis cattle must of rot and murrain die.
3. Verbal nonsense.

Synonyms

• (nonsense) See also

Anagrams

• ort, OTR, RTO, TOR, Tor, tor, TRO