gangrene

American  

[gang-green, gang-green] / ˈgæŋ grin, gæŋˈgrin /

noun

1. necrosis or death of soft tissue due to obstructed circulation, usually followed by decomposition and putrefaction.

2. moral or spiritual corruption and decadence that pervades an individual or group.

   “This church body has been afflicted with a spiritual gangrene that is poisoning our relationship with the Lord,” the preacher expostulated.

   Synonyms:

   degeneracy, depravity, rot, decay

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verb (used with or without object)

gangrened, gangrening

1. to affect or become affected with gangrene.

gangrene British  

/ ˈɡæŋɡriːn, ˈɡæŋɡrɪnəs /

noun

1. death and decay of tissue as the result of interrupted blood supply, disease, or injury

2. moral decay or corruption

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verb

1. to become or cause to become affected with gangrene

gangrene Scientific  

/ găng′grēn′ /

1. Death of tissue in a living body, especially in a limb, caused by a bacterial infection resulting from a blockage of the blood supply to the affected tissue.

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gangrene Cultural  

1. The death and decay of body tissue owing to insufficient supply of blood.

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Other Word Forms

• gangrenous adjective
• nongangrenous adjective
• ungangrened adjective
• ungangrenous adjective

Etymology

Origin of gangrene

First recorded in 1535–45; from Middle French gangrene (earlier cancrene ), from Latin gangraena, from Greek gángraina “an eating sore”

Compare meaning

How does gangrene compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• gangrene vs. necrosis

Example Sentences

And as Vladimir Putin's "chosen war" against Ukraine enters its third week, fear and outrage continue to spread across the globe like gangrene.

From Salon

After gangrene eventually set into the remaining leg, the doctors amputated that one, too.

From New York Times

He had to have his leg amputated and died of gangrene three days later.

From BBC

“People were coming out of there, some could barely walk, most people were limping. Some people looked like they were about to get gangrene,” the congressman said.

From Washington Times

"This mentality is gangrene for society and makes the future unsustainable," he said.

From Reuters

Related Words

• blight
• corrosion
• decomposition
• degeneration
• deterioration
• disintegration
• disrepair
• extinction
• impairment
• rot