rot

present singular third person rots · participle present rotting · participle past rotted · past rotted

1. intransitiveTo suffer decomposition due to biological action, especially by fungi or bacteria.

   The apple left in the cupboard all that time had started to rot.

   1 more example

   Fix'd like a plant on his peculiar spot, / To draw nutrition, propagate, and rot.

   1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC

2. intransitiveTo decline in function or utility.

   Your brain will rot if you spend so much time on the computer, Tony!

3. ambitransitiveTo (cause to) deteriorate in any way, as in morals; to corrupt.
4. transitiveTo make putrid; to cause to be wholly or partially decomposed by natural processes.

   to rot vegetable fiber

5. figurativelyintransitiveTo spend a long period of time (in an unpleasant place or state).

   to rot in Hell

   4 more examples

   to rot in prison

   If I hadn't rotted in bed all day I would've come...

   Four of the sufferers were left to rot in irons.

   1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC

   Rot, poor bachelor, in your club.

   1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Book of Snobs

6. transitiveTo expose, as flax, to a process of maceration, etc., for the purpose of separating the fiber; to ret.
7. datedslangTo talk nonsense.

   “Did they hang you well?” said Porson. “Don’t rot,” said Mr Watkins; “I don’t like it.”

   1894, H. G. Wells, The Hammerpond Park Burglary

   1 more example

   Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’

   1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 26

8. imperativeslangtransitiveDamn; blast.

   1 more example

   "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 blahsted promises […]"

   1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London

plural rots

1. countableuncountableThe process of becoming rotten; putrefaction.
2. countableuncountableDecaying matter.

   When a turkey vulture detects the scent of rot, it circles down, tracing the plume of chemicals to its source.

   2016, Nathanael Johnson, Unseen City, →ISBN, page 115

3. countablein compoundsuncountableAny of several diseases in which breakdown of tissue occurs.

   His cattle must of rot and murrain die.

   1658–1663, John Milton, Paradise Lost

4. uncountableVerbal nonsense.

   You're talking rot! I don't believe a word.

1. abbreviationinitialismuncountablebroadcastingInitialism of record of transmission.

1. abbreviationhobbiesAbbreviation of refugee Olympics team (country code for the team).

   Synonyms: ROA