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Glite Dictionary
to dry-rot

to dry-rot

7.9
To make wood or other plant material decay because of a fungus that grows in dry wood
  • verb
  • /draɪ rɑt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : descomponerse
  • The old beams have started to dry-rot.

Examples

  • The old beams in the attic began to dry-rot after years of damp conditions.

  • Neglected buildings are often allowed to dry-rot before being demolished.

  • Improper sealing can cause window frames to dry-rot much faster than expected.

  • Make sure the wood does not dry-rot.

  • If water gets inside the walls, the wood can dry-rot and weaken the structure.

  • The old beams in the barn started to dry-rot after years of neglect.

  • He discovered that the floorboards were beginning to dry-rot due to a leaky roof.

Synonyms

to decay
vsto dry-rot
22 3.4

To rot and break down because of bacteria and fungi

is the same process but caused by a specific dry wood fungus
to rot away
vsto dry-rot
16 4.2

To slowly become weaker or fall apart because it is not cared for

is this kind of breakdown specifically in dry wood due to fungus
to molder
vsto dry-rot
  • US
3 7.1

To rot slowly because of moisture or neglect

is caused in dry wood by a fungus rather than by moisture

Surface Forms

dry-rot infinitive
dry-rotted past
dry-rotted past participle
dry-rotting present participle
dry-rots third person singular

Morphology

dry-rot = dry rot (semi-transparent) = dry + rot

The verb is a zero-derived use of the compound noun 'dry rot'; the components are clear, but the specific technical decay sense is somewhat specialized.

Etymology

Dry-rot comes from the simple words dry ('not wet') and rot ('decay'), and it named a type of wood damage that looked dry but was actually eaten away by a fungus. So to dry-rot something is to make it slowly decay in that way.