Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

putrefaction

/ˌpjuːtɹəˈfækʃən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.04 in modern English

Syllables
pu-tre-fac-tion
IPA
/ˌpjuːtɹəˈfækʃən/
19
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
4
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The act of causing to rot; the anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of malodorous, incompletely oxidized products.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Rotten material.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The state of being rotten.

Countable; Uncountable

Etymology

First attested between 1350 and 1400 from Middle English putrefaccioun, from Old French putrefaccïon, from Latin putrefactiō, from putrefactus, perfect passive participle of putrefaciō (“become rotten”)

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *puH-, putrefaccioun, putrefaccïon, putrefactiō

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Biology.

Inflected Forms

putrefactions (plural)

Derived Forms

antiputrefaction

Frequently Paired Words

putrescent putrefactive putrefacient putrefy putrid

Synonyms

corruption degeneracy depravation depravity decomposition rot rotting breakdown

Questions

How do you pronounce putrefaction?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˌpjuːtɹəˈfækʃən/.
What does putrefaction mean?
The act of causing to rot; the anaerobic splitting of proteins by bacteria and fungi with the formation of malodorous, incompletely oxidized products.
Where does putrefaction come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce putrefaction

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “putrefaction”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌpjuːtɹəˈfækʃən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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