Part 579

5. To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt. Matt. vi. 19.

Cor*rupt" (k?r-r?pt"), v. i. 1. To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot. Bacon.

2. To become vitiated; to lose purity or goodness.

Cor*rupt"er (k?r-r?p"t?r), n. One who corrupts; one who vitiates or taints; as, a corrupter of morals.

Cor*rupt"ful (-f?l), a. Tending to corrupt; full of corruption. [Obs.] "Corruptful bribes." Spenser.

Cor*rupt`i*bil"i*ty (k?r-r?p`t?-b?l"?-t?), n. [L. corruptibilitas: cf. F. corruptibilitÚ.] The quality of being corruptible; the possibility or liability of being corrupted; corruptibleness. Burke.

Cor*rupt"i*ble (k?r-r?p"t?-b'l), a. [L. corruptibilis: cf. F. corruptible.] 1. Capable of being made corrupt; subject to decay. "Our corruptible bodies." Hooker.

Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. 1 Pet. i. 18.

2. Capable of being corrupted, or morally vitiated; susceptible of depravation.

They systematically corrupt very corruptible race. Burke.

-- Cor*rupt"i*ble*ness, n. -- Cor*rupt"i*bly, adv.

Cor*rupt"i*ble, n. That which may decay and perish; the human body. [Archaic] 1 Cor. xv. 53.

Cor*rupt"ing*ly, adv. In a manner that corrupts.

Cor*rup"tion (k?r-r?p"sh?n), n. [F. corruption, L. corruptio.] 1. The act of corrupting or making putrid, or state of being corrupt or putrid; decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration.

The inducing and accelerating of putrefaction is a subject of very universal inquiry; for corruption is a reciprocal to "generation". Bacon.

2. The product of corruption; putrid matter.

3. The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity; depravity; wickedness; impurity; bribery.

It was necessary, by exposing the gross corruptions of monasteries, . . . to exite popular indignation against them. Hallam.

They abstained from some of the worst methods of corruption usual to their party in its earlier days. Bancroft.

&fist; Corruption, when applied to officers, trustees, etc., signifies the inducing a violation of duty by means of pecuniary considerations. Abbott.

4. The act of changing, or of being changed, for the worse; departure from what is pure, simple, or correct; as, a corruption of style; corruption in language.

Corruption of blood (Law), taint or impurity of blood, in consequence of an act of attainder of treason or felony, by which a person is disabled from inheriting any estate or from transmitting it to others.

Corruption of blood can be removed only by act of Parliament. Blackstone.

Syn. -- Putrescence; putrefaction; defilement; contamination; deprivation; debasement; adulteration; depravity; taint. See Depravity.

Cor*rup"tion*ist, n. One who corrupts, or who upholds corruption. Sydney Smith.

Cor*rupt"ive (k?r-r?p"t?v), a. [L. corruptivus: cf. F. corruptif.] Having the quality of tainting or vitiating; tending to produce corruption.

It should be endued with some corruptive quality for so speedy a dissolution of the meat. Ray.