Putrescent

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing a substance that is undergoing decay and emits a strong, unpleasant smell
2. Characterized by the breaking down of organic matter producing a strong offensive odor
3. Pertaining to organic material in the process of rotting and emitting a disagreeable stench

Etymology: Putrescent comes from Latin "pūtrēscēns," the present participle of "pūtrēscō," meaning "to rot." The Latin verb is itself built on "putris," "rotten" or "decayed," which is the root that gives English words like "putrid" and "putrefy." The "-escent" ending is a Latin suffix signalling the start or progress of a process, so the word's core idea is a state of becoming rotten rather than a fixed condition of rottenness. English took the word in the 1700s, with the earliest attestation around 1730. Its sense has stayed close to the Latin: something that is decaying and giving off a foul smell. Its near-twin "putrid" arrived earlier and is the more familiar of the pair, but "putrescent" keeps the Latin sense of an ongoing process, the change from fresh to rotten, rather than simply describing the finished state.

Synonyms: rotten, decayed, decomposed

Antonyms: fresh, wholesome