putrefaction
putrefaction — noun
1. the natural process in which dead organic material — such as a body, animal, or
the natural process in which dead organic material — such as a body, animal, or plant — breaks down into simpler substances, driven by bacteria and fungi, often producing a strong unpleasant smell.
The smell of putrefaction filled the abandoned house where a small animal had died.
collocation: smell of putrefaction
Kenji studied the stages of putrefaction in organic matter during his biology lab.
The ancient wooden coffin showed little sign of putrefaction after centuries in the dry desert sand.
Warm, humid weather accelerated the putrefaction of fallen fruit in the orchard.
Forensic pathologists noted that the degree of putrefaction suggested the body had been there for at least two weeks.
- decay
the most general, everyday term for organic breakdown, less technical than putrefaction
- decomposition
the neutral scientific term for the chemical breakdown of matter
- rotting
less formal and more concrete, describing visible decay with softening and discolouration
- spoilage
used mainly for food that has become unfit to eat, not for bodies or large organic matter
- preservation
the act of keeping organic material in its original state, preventing decay
- freshness
the quality of being recently produced or gathered, opposite of spoilage
文法句型
the + putrefaction + of + [organic matter]
用法筆記
This is a formal or technical term used mainly in scientific, medical, and forensic writing. In everyday conversation, words like decay, rot, or decomposition are preferred.