putrescence

noun

pyü-ˈtre-sᵊn(t)s How to pronounce putrescence (audio)
Definition of putrescencenext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putrescence
  1. decomposition
  2. decay
Noun
  • His hands and legs were bound, duct tape covered his face, and his body was burned and showed signs of decomposition, according to the record.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Soil organic matter is a rich substance created by the decomposition of the carbon-rich litter layer above it, forming a layer that soil scientists call the O-horizon.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of decomposition
Noun
  • But the eleventh-hour blitz of No On 3 ads that Keep Florida Clean funded, warning of the greed of Big Weed, inflamed voters’ private worries of societal decay.
    — Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The commercial benchmark, by comparison, showed continuous performance decay during testing.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of decay

Browse Nearby Words

putrefying
putrescence
putrescent
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Cite this Entry

“Putrescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putrescence. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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