- putrefaction
- c.1400, from O.Fr. putrefaction (14c.), from L. putrefactionem (nom. putrefactio), from putrefactus, pp. of putrefacere "to make rotten," from putrere "to be rotten" (see putrid) + facere "to make, do" (see factitious).
- thaw (v.)
- O.E. þawian, from P.Gmc. *thawojanan (cf. O.N. þeyja, M.L.G. doien, Du. dooien, O.H.G. douwen, Ger. tauen "to thaw"), from PIE base *ta- "to melt, dissolve" (cf. Skt. toyam "water," Ossetic thayun "to thaw," Welsh tawadd "molten," Doric Gk. takein "to melt, waste, be consumed," O.Ir. tam "pestilence," L. tabes "a melting, wasting away, putrefaction," O.C.S. tajati "to melt"). The noun is c.1400, from the verb. Fig. sense of "relaxation of political harshness or hostility" is recorded from 1950, an image from the Cold War.
- sepsis
- 1876, from Mod.L. sepsis, from Gk. sepsis "putrefaction," from sepein "to rot," of unknown origin.
- septic
- 1605, from L. septicus "of or pertaining to putrefaction," from Gk. septikos "characterized by putrefaction," from sepein "cause to rot" (see sepsis). Septic tank is attested from 1902.
- antiseptic
- 1751, coined from anti- "against" + septic, from Gk. sepsis "putrefaction."
- rot (v.)
- O.E. rotian "to decay," from P.Gmc. *rutjan (cf. O.S. roton, O.N. rotna, O.Fris. rotia, M.Du. roten, O.H.G. rozzen "to rot," Ger. rößen "to steep flax"), from stem *rut-. The noun (c.1300) probably is of Scand. origin (cf. Icel. rot, Swed. röta, Dan. røde "decay, putrefaction"), and is related to the verb. Slang noun sense of "rubbish, trash" is from 1848. Rotgut "unwholesome liquor" is from 1633; rotter "one who is objectionable on moral grounds" is 1894 slang.