rot

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rot^¹

/ɹɒt/ UK
/ɹɑt/ US
/ɹɔt/ Australia, British, New Zealand
/ɾɔt/ Scotland

Sounds like wrought (cot–caught merger) · Rhymes with -ɒt

Where it comes from

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”).

verb rots · rotting · rotted

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.
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). to rot in prison
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.”
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

Similar: putrefy, molder

noun rots

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.
countable, in compounds, uncountable Any of several diseases in which breakdown of tissue occurs. His cattle must of rot and murrain die.
uncountable Verbal nonsense. You're talking rot! I don't believe a word.

ROT^²

noun

abbreviation, initialism, uncountable Initialism of record of transmission

proper noun

abbreviation Abbreviation of refugee Olympics team (country code for the team).
Similar: ROA

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: putrefaction, moulder, waste, horseshit, dogshit, shit, bullshit, decompose, hogwash, bunkum, irish bull, guff, buncombe, bunk, molder, bull

verb

Similar: putrefy, molder

Translations

Every language

verb (intransitive) to suffer decomposition

Español	pudrirse, podrirse
한국어	썩다 sseokda, 부패하다 bupaehada
日本語	腐る kusaru
中文	腐化 fǔhuà, 腐壞 /腐坏 fǔhuài, 腐爛 /腐烂 fǔlàn
हिन्दी	सड़ना saṛnā
Português	putrefazer, apodrecer
Français	pourrir
Deutsch	verrotten, verderben, faulen, verfaulen, verwesen, putreszieren
Italiano	marcire, putrefare, putrefarsi, imputridire, putrire
Ελληνικά	σαπίζω sapízo
Română	putrezi, descompune
Русский	гнить gnitʹ, сгнить sgnitʹ, разлага́ться razlagátʹsja
Tiếng Việt	rữa, rã
العربية	أَفْسَدَ ʔafsada, فَسَدَ fasada
עברית	נרקב nirkáv

verb (transitive) to cause to deteriorate in any way, as in morals

Русский	разлага́ть razlagátʹ

verb (transitive) to make putrid

Español	pudrir, podrir
Ελληνικά	σαπίζω sapízo

noun process of becoming rotten — see also decay, putrefaction

Español	putrefacción, podre, podredumbre, pudrimiento, podrimiento, podredura

noun disease in which breakdown of tissue occurs

中文	腐病 fǔbìng

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Cite this

MLA

"rot." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rot. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

rot. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rot

Chicago

"rot." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rot.

BibTeX

@misc{rot_2026,
  title = {rot},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rot},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}

rot