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Synonyms

dry rot

1 American  

noun

  1. Plant Pathology.

    1. a decay of seasoned timber, resulting in its becoming brittle and crumbling to a dry powder, caused by various fungi.

    2. any of various diseases of plants in which the rotted tissues are dry.

  2. any concealed or unsuspected inner decay.

dry-rot 2 American  
[drahy-rot] / ˈdraɪˌrɒt /

verb (used with or without object)

dry-rotted, dry-rotting

  1. to undergo or cause to undergo the action or effects of dry rot.

dry rot British  

noun

  1. crumbling and drying of timber, bulbs, potatoes, or fruit, caused by saprotrophic basidiomycetous fungi

  2. any fungus causing this decay, esp of the genus Merulius

  3. moral degeneration or corrupt practices, esp when previously unsuspected

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dry rot1

First recorded in 1785–95

Origin of dry-rot2

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Last year the BBC highlighted the case of Tormuja Khatun, whose Luton home has been consumed by black mould, mushrooms and dry rot after the botched installation of external wall insulation.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2025

The wood had badly deteriorated: There was dry rot, termites and water damage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2024

Periodically, it has called out for reroofing, repair of dry rot, replacement of aging siding and a new coat of paint.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2023

It’s in the beams and joists, like dry rot.

From New York Times • Aug. 25, 2020

The air smelled of age and dry rot and damp, but of nothing worse than that.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.