rot

/ˈrät/

Middle English roten, from Old English rotian; akin to Old High German rōzzēn to rot

verb

  1. to undergo decomposition from the action of bacteria or fungi

  2. to become unsound or weak (as from use or chemical action)

  3. to go to ruin : deteriorate

decay decompose rot putrefy spoil mean to undergo destructive dissolution. decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection. decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

noun

  1. the process of rotting : the state of being rotten : decay

  2. something rotten or rotting

  3. a wasting putrescent disease

noun

  1. the tendency for digital information to degrade or become unusable over time

I toured independent radio station CKUA and manager Brian Dunsmore showed me the banks of hard drives that contain the music. … Yet he admitted bit rot was an issue. The drives have to be kept moving, have to write and rewrite the information constantly or it would degrade.