Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Decomposed and foul-smelling; rotten.
  • adjective Proceeding from, relating to, or exhibiting putrefaction.
  • adjective Morally rotten; corrupt.
  • adjective Of extremely poor quality; atrocious or contemptible.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In a state of decay or putrefaction; exhibiting putrefaction; corrupt; fetid from rottenness; stinking: said of animal and vegetable bodies: as putrid flesh.
  • Indicating a state of putrefaction; proceeding from or pertaining to putrefaction: as, a putrid scent.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Tending to decomposition or decay; decomposed; rotten; -- said of animal or vegetable matter. See putrefaction.
  • adjective Indicating or proceeding from a decayed state of animal or vegetable matter.
  • adjective (Med.) typhus fever; -- so called from the decomposing and offensive state of the discharges and diseased textures of the body.
  • adjective (Med.) a gangrenous inflammation of the fauces and pharynx.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Rotting, rotten, being in a state of putrefaction.
  • adjective of, relating to, or characteristic of putrefaction, especially having a bad smell, like that of rotting flesh.
  • adjective Vile, disgusting.
  • adjective morally corrupt
  • adjective totally objectionable

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective morally corrupt or evil
  • adjective of or relating to or attended by putrefaction
  • adjective in an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odor

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English putred, from Old French putride, from Latin putridus, from putrēre, to be rotten, from puter, putr-, rotten; see pū̆- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin putridus ("rotten, decayed"), from pūtreō ("I am rotten or putrid"), from puter ("rotten, decaying, putrid").

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