Putrescences

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process or state of decomposing organic matter, resulting in the release of unpleasant odors and the breakdown of tissues
2. The condition arising from the decay and rotting of biological substances, often characterized by foul smells
3. A phase in which organic materials undergo decay, leading to the formation of bacteria and the emission of noxious odors

Etymology: "Putrescences" is simply the plural of "putrescence", so the history belongs to the singular. That noun was borrowed from Medieval Latin "putrēscentia", a formation built on the Latin verb "putrescere", "to become rotten", which itself grows out of "putrere", "to be rotten" or "to decay". The Latin root carried its sense of rot and foulness directly into the English term. The Latin ending "-entia" marks a state or quality, which is why the English word names a condition rather than an action. Medieval Latin writers used it as a noun for the state of rotting, and English took that abstract sense over, so the word describes decay as a condition or process rather than a single event.

Synonyms: decay, rottenness