Lexic.us

Definition of Rotten

1. Adjective. Very bad. "It's a stinking world"

2. Adjective. Damaged by decay; hence unsound and useless. "A decayed foundation"

3. Adjective. Having decayed or disintegrated; usually implies foulness. "Dead and rotten in his grave"

Definition of Rotten

1. a. Having rotted; putrid; decayed; as, a rotten apple; rotten meat.

Definition of Rotten

1. Adjective. Of perishable items, overridden with bacteria and other infectious agents. ¹

2. Adjective. In a state of decay. ¹

3. Adjective. Cruel, mean or immoral. ¹

4. Adjective. Bad or terrible. ¹

5. Adverb. To an extreme degree. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Rotten

1. being in a state of decay [adj -TENER, -TENEST] : ROTTENLY [adv]

Medical Definition of Rotten

1. Having rotted; putrid; decayed; as, a rotten apple; rotten meat. Hence: Offensive to the smell; fetid; disgusting. "You common cry or curs! whose breath I hate As reek of the rotten fens." (Shak) Not firm or trusty; unsound; defective; treacherous; unsafe; as, a rotten plank, bone, stone. "The deepness of the rotten way." Rotten borough. See Borough. Rotten stone, a soft stone, called also Tripoli (from the country from which it was formerly brought), used in all sorts of finer grinding and polishing in the arts, and for cleaning metallic substances. The name is also given to other friable siliceous stones applied to like uses. Synonym: Putrefied, decayed, carious, defective, unsound, corrupt, deceitful, treacherous. Rot"tenly, Rot"tenness. Origin: Icel. Rotinn; akin to Sw. Rutten, Dan. Radden. See Rot. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Rotten

rotovates rotovating rotoxamine rotozoomer rotozoomers rotproof rotproofed rotproofing rotproofs rots

rottable rottan rottans rotte rotten (current term) rotten apple rotten borough rotten boroughs rottener rottenest

rottenly rottenness rottennesses rottens rottenstone rottenstones rotter rotters rottes

Literary usage of Rotten

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Phytopathology by American Phytopathological Society (1917)
"Started wound 1 rotten 2 rotten DUT End not Stem «od ... 5 13 rotten. 6 all rotten; 5 stem-end- rot ; 2 doubtful 3 rotten 2 rotten typical Di- plodia rot 15 ..."

2. The Cambridge Modern History by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton Acton, Ernest Alfred Benians, George Walter Prothero, Sir Adolphus William Ward (1907)
"If defenders of the nomination system appealed to its practice to defend its theory, defenders of the rotten boroughs found it more convenient to reverse ..."

3. The pilgrim's progress from this world to that which is to come by John Bunyan (1879)
"... he esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as job 4'""*- rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; sling ** stones are turned with him into stubble. ..."

4. Commentaries on the Law in Shakespeare: With Explanations of the Legal Terms by Edward Joseph White (1911)
"A rotten case.—No Counsel in.— "Mow. Well, by my will, we shall admit no parley. West. That argues but the shame of your offense: a rotten case abides no ..."

Other Resources: