nigredo

N1I1G2R1E1D2O1

noun

A process of putrefaction or decomposition, one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus.

Similar
melanosis
OriginLatin nigrēdō →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounnigredo (uncountable)
  1. uncountablealchemyA process of putrefaction or decomposition, one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus.

    Synonyms: melanosis

  2. uncountablehuman sciencesA term in Jungian psychology referring to mental negativity.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA process of putrefaction or decomposition, one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus.

Similar
melanosis
Also see
melanosis

Origin

  1. Latinnigrēdō“blackness”
  2. Englishnigredo

From Latin nigrēdō (“blackness”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

DoeringGirondenegroidgroined
Cite this entry
APA

nigredo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nigredo

MLA

“nigredo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nigredo. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nigredo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nigredo.

Source: nigredo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.