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Glite Dictionary
jungle rot

jungle rot

1 9.9
A skin infection that makes painful sores after long stays in wet, dirty places in hot weather
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl rɑt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : podredumbre de la jungla
  • The doctor explained that jungle rot can cause severe skin sores if not treated promptly.
  • getting jungle rot

Examples

  • After spending weeks in the rainforest, he developed jungle rot and had to seek medical attention.

  • You need me on this mission... just like you need something on that jungle rot.

    The Great Raid (2005)

  • I have been almost entirely free from tropical ulcers, skin infections, jungle rot, etc.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I can't get bent outta shape just because some people got some jungle rot and ended up dead on a barge on the bottom of the ocean.

    Leviathan (1989)

  • During the humid summer months, soldiers often suffer from jungle rot due to the wet and unsanitary living conditions.

Synonyms

tropical sore
vsjungle rot
  • Specialized
9.0

An open skin sore caused by a small parasite in hot countries

is caused by prolonged exposure to damp unsanitary conditions rather than a parasite

Surface Forms

jungle rot singular
jungle rots plural

Morphology

jungle + rot

The phrase transparently combines 'jungle' (tropical environment) and 'rot' (decay), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to some kind of decay-related disease associated with jungle conditions. However, the precise medical sense (a specific skin infection or ulceration) is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so prior exposure helps.

Etymology

Jungle rot comes from soldiers and travelers who spent long periods in hot, wet jungles where constant damp and sores made the skin seem to rot. That's why jungle rot means 'a skin infection caused by long exposure to wet, dirty jungle conditions'.