as in decomposition
the process by which dead organic matter separates into simpler substances
in the far corner of the walk-in refrigerator was a crate of cucumbers in an advanced stage of putrescence
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Recent Examples of putrescence
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrescence
decay
Noun
-
The structure’s decay was captured in numerous photos, and demolition seemed imminent when the decision was made to rebuild it in conjunction with the new Power & Light District.—
Randy Mason,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2025
-
The Context Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has frequently railed against fluoride—which medical and dental experts say can be crucial in preventing tooth decay and cavities, especially in children who live in areas with lower levels of fluoride in drinking water.—
Sonam Sheth,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putrescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrescence. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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