Rot
/rɑt/
nounverbB1
Definition
Rot is when something, like food or wood, breaks down and becomes bad or soft because of bacteria or fungi. It often causes a bad smell and makes the object unusable. Rot can happen naturally over time or because of wet or warm conditions.
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See It in Action
The process of decay or decomposition of organic matter
- •The fruit began to rot after a few days.
- •The wooden fence is covered with rot because of rain.
- •Leaves rot on the ground and help make soil healthy.
To become bad or decay over time (verb)
- •If you leave milk out, it will rot and smell bad.
- •The old house started to rot because no one fixed it.
- •Food left in the sun can rot quickly.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'rot' like 'bad' (A1 word), but for things that are breaking down and falling apart
- ✓Picture old fruit left outside—soft, brown, and smelly—that is rot
- ✓It's the feeling when you see food in the fridge that looks and smells bad, and you know you can't eat it
- ✓Sounds like 'rot' → imagine a rotten apple dropping to the ground and slowly disappearing
- ✓In stories, rotten things often mean danger or something unpleasant, like a rotten egg or rotten luck
- ✓NOT like 'break' (which can happen suddenly), rot is slow and happens over time
- ✓NOT like 'mold' (which is a type of fungus), rot is the whole process of decay including softness and smell
- ✓NOT like 'rust' (which is metal decay), rot happens to organic things like plants and food
Try Other Words
- •Decay: to break down slowly (Use when describing a more general or scientific process)
- •Spoil: to become bad, especially food (Use when talking about food that is no longer good to eat)
- •Decompose: to break down naturally (Use in biology or nature contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: rot (simple root word, no prefix or suffix)
- •Etymology: From Old English 'rotian,' meaning to rot or decay
- •Historical development: Used since early English to describe natural breaking down of organic matter
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for food, plants, wood, and sometimes metaphorically for things that get worse over time
- •Key insight: Rot is a natural process but often unwanted because it makes things bad or useless
Reflect & Connect
•What are some things around you that can rot, and how do you prevent them from rotting?
•Can 'rot' be used to describe non-physical things, like ideas or feelings? How?
Fill in the blanks
1.If fruit is left outside in warm weather, it will rot because ___ ___ ___.
2.Wood can rot when it is ___ and ___ for a long time.
3.Unlike breaking suddenly, rot happens ___ and ___.
4.When food starts to rot, it often has a ___ smell and ___ texture.
5.People try to stop food from rot by ___ it in the fridge or ___ it quickly.
6.Rot is different from rust because rust happens to ___, but rot happens to ___.
7.When a garden is healthy, old leaves rot and help make ___ better.