putrescent

/pjuˈtɹɛsənt/

//pjuˈtɹɛsənt// adj

"putrescent" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“putrescent” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Becoming putrid; putrefying.

Corpus desk

Index EN-putrescent · putrescent · English

putrescent · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for putrescent
PropertyValue
Headwordputrescent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pjuˈtɹɛsənt/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “putrescent” in English

putrescentsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

putrescent is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /pjuˈtɹɛsənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Becoming putrid; putrefying.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for putrescent in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Attested since circa 1730, from Latin pūtrēscēns (“rotting”), present participle of pūtrēscō (“rot”). The correct English form is putrescent, spelled P-U-T-R-E-S-C-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Becoming putrid; putrefying.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how putrescent appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. When it is combined with that quantity of water with which it is found united in the gall-bladder, it is not more putrescent than the serum of the blood
  2. This same reason accounts to a considerable extent for the fact, that soft steeping liquor, if seldom changed, becomes much more putrescent than hard water retained with the same barleys for a similar period in cistern.

Etymology

Attested since circa 1730, from Latin pūtrēscēns (“rotting”), present participle of pūtrēscō (“rot”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "putrescent"?
"putrescent" is spelled P-U-T-R-E-S-C-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pjuˈtɹɛsənt/.
What does "putrescent" mean?
As an adjective, "putrescent" means: Becoming putrid; putrefying.
How do you pronounce "putrescent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "putrescent" is /pjuˈtɹɛsənt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "putrescent"?
Attested since circa 1730, from Latin pūtrēscēns (“rotting”), present participle of pūtrēscō (“rot”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list