Meaning
gangrene
- necrosis and death of body tissue caused by lack of blood flow or infection
- deep-rooted, spreading corruption or decay in society (figurative)
In a sentence
L'infezione non curata è andata in cancrena.
The untreated infection turned gangrenous.
La corruzione è una cancrena che distrugge le istituzioni pubbliche.
Corruption is a gangrene that destroys public institutions.
I medici sono riusciti a evitare la cancrena con antibiotici potenti.
The doctors managed to prevent gangrene with strong antibiotics.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cancrena | feminine · singular |
| cancrene | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Also spelt 'gangrena', though 'cancrena' is more traditional and common in Italian.