putrescence

noun

pu·​tres·​cence pyü-ˈtre-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce putrescence (audio)
: the state of being putrescent

Examples of putrescence in a Sentence

in the far corner of the walk-in refrigerator was a crate of cucumbers in an advanced stage of putrescence
Recent Examples on the Web In 19th-century cities, when waste disposal was a private matter and not yet a public responsibility, households lived close to their own putrescence. Curbed, 12 Aug. 2022 There was no evidence to suggest the existence of four receptor classes, rather than three, or five, or ten; nor was there any serious reason to believe that acidity and goatiness—but not, say, florality or putrescence—were fundamentals of odor. Scott Sayare, Harper's Magazine, 23 Nov. 2021 In various states of putrescence—worms wriggling, entrails dangling—cadavers rise from their graves to join the Dance of Death. Felipe Fernández-Armesto, WSJ, 24 Apr. 2020 At the opposite end of spring's floral awakening lingers the rot of deciduous fall: the putrescence of stranded, spent salmon; the sweet stench of walrus or whale melting on Nome's driftwood beaches. Michael Engelhard, Alaska Dispatch News, 1 July 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'putrescence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of putrescence was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near putrescence

Cite this Entry

“Putrescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putrescence. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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