Inherited from Middle English roten, rotten, from Old English rotian (“to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy”), from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”).
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) The process of becoming rotten; putrefaction.
(countable, uncountable) Decaying matter.
When a turkey vulture detects the scent of rot, it circles down, tracing the plume of chemicals to its source. 2016, Nathanael Johnson, Unseen City, →ISBN, page 115:
(countable, in-compounds, uncountable) Any of several diseases in which breakdown of tissue occurs.
His cattle must of rot and murrain die. 1658–1663, John Milton, Paradise Lost:
pon soumet (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · bg гниене (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · es pudrición (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · la cariēs (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · cmn 腐病 (disease in which breakdown of tissue occurs) · la pūtor (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · ml ചീയൽ (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · es putrefacción (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · la tabēs (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · fi mätäneminen (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · es podredura (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · bg глупости (verbal nonsense — see also nonsense) · es podrimiento (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · tr çürüme (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · es podre (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · mi kohe (verbal nonsense — see also nonsense) · es pudrimiento (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction) · es podredumbre (process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction)
Inherited from Middle English roten, rotten, from Old English rotian (“to rot, become corrupted, ulcerate, putrefy”), from Proto-West Germanic *rotēn, from Proto-Germanic *rutāną (“to rot”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.
The apple left in the cupboard all that time had started to rot.
Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot, / To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot. 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC:
(intransitive) To decline in function or utility.
Your brain will rot if you spend so much time on the computer, Tony!
(ambitransitive) To (cause to) deteriorate in any way, as in morals; to corrupt.
(transitive) To make putrid; to cause to be wholly or partially decomposed by natural processes.
to rot vegetable fiber
(figuratively, intransitive) To spend a long period of time (in an unpleasant place or state).
If I hadn't rotted in bed all day I would've come...
to rot in prison
to rot in Hell
Four of the sufferers were left to rot in irons. 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
Rot, poor bachelor, in your club. 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Book of Snobs:
(transitive) To expose, as flax, to a process of maceration, etc., for the purpose of separating the fiber; to ret.
(dated, slang) To talk nonsense.
“Did they hang you well?” said Porson.
“Don’t rot,” said Mr Watkins; “I don’t like it.” 1894, H. G. Wells, The Hammerpond Park Burglary:
Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’ 1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 26:
(imperative, slang, transitive) Damn; blast.
"Oh rot yer!" exclaimed Fank, with a sudden flare of passion that at least carried with it the dignity of a genuine emotion; "I've had just abart enough of you and your blinkin' game, Toady Joolby. Here, I'd sooner smash the bloody thing, straight, than be such a ruddy mug as to swallow any of your blahsted promises […]" 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:
el σαπίζω ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ta அழுகு ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · he נרקב ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · afb خاس ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ar فَسَدَ ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · hu rohad ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ar أَفْسَدَ ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · yi פֿוילן ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · hi सड़ना ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · as গেলা ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · yue 爛 /烂 ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cu гнити ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · nl rotten ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · da rådne ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · lv pūt ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · eo putri ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ko 부패하다 ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · txb āmp- ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · izh märätä ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · fa گندیدن ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · acw خَمَّج ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · el σαπίζω ((transitive) to make putrid) · sk hniť ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · tg вайрон шудан ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cy madru ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de verderben ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · es pudrir ((transitive) to make putrid) · bg гни́я ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · es podrirse ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · pl gnić ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · uk гни́ти ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de in Fäulnis übergehen ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cy pydru ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · it putrefare ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · uk згнити ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · nl vergaan ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · wa pouri ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de verfaulen ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · la pūtrescō ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ru сгнить ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · acw عَفَّن ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · oc poirir ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · grc σήπω ((transitive) to cause to deteriorate in any way, as in morals) · ltg trupēt ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · es podrir ((transitive) to make putrid) · alt чириир ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · kw breyna ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · mdf наксадомс ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · vi rã ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cmn 腐化 ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · mi whakapopo ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ka ხრწნა ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · kw pedri ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · uz chirimoq ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ro descompune ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · sh трулити ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ro putrezi ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ba сереү ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ru разлага́ть ((transitive) to cause to deteriorate in any way, as in morals) · hu rothad ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · fi mädäntyä ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · mk гние ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · hy նեխել ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · vi rữa ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · sh truliti ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · sv ruttna ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · tg пӯсидан ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · izh mehestyä ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · pt putrefazer ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ca podrir ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · fa پوسیدن ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · mi ane ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · bni pola ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ky чирүү ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ka დალპობა ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ky ылжыроо ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · rup putridzãscu ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · br breinañ ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · it putrefarsi ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · unm alël ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ary خْمج ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · grc σαπρίζω ((transitive) to make putrid) · et mädanema ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de sich zersetzen ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · alt ылјыраар ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de verrotten ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ko 썩다 ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cs hnít ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · th ผุ ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ltg pyut ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cmn 腐爛 /腐烂 ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · izh märkänessä ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · tr çürümek ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · tpw tuîuk ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · fi lahota ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · it putrire ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ka ჩალპობა ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · lt pūti ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · grc σήπομαι ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ml ചീയുക ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de verwesen ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ktu bola ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ru гнить ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · az çürümək ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · la tābescō ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · om tortoruu ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · eu usteldu ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · bo རུལ ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · km រលួយ ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · acw خاس ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · hy փտել ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · pt apodrecer ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · pl zgnić ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ka ლპობა ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ln pola ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · fi mädätä ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · fr pourrir ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ja 腐る ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ml ചീയിക്കുക ((transitive) to make putrid) · unm alët ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ga lobh ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · de putreszieren ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · sl gniti ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · it marcire ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · gl podrecer ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · pon soumetla ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · it imputridire ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cy braenu ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · qu ismuy ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · ru разлага́ться ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · grc σήπω ((transitive) to make putrid) · de faulen ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · la putrefaciō ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · es pudrirse ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · be гніць ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · myv наксадомс ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition) · cmn 腐壞 /腐坏 ((intransitive) to suffer decomposition)