septic

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From Ancient Greek σηπτικός (sēptikós, “characterized by putridity”), from σηπτός (sēptós), from σήπειν (sḗpein).

• septick (obsolete)

septic (comparative more septic, superlative most septic)

1. Of or pertaining to sepsis.
2. Causing sepsis or putrefaction.
3. Of or pertaining to sewage or the disposal of sewage.

   septic tank; septic system

• antiseptic
• asepsis
• aseptic
• sepsis
• septic shock
• septic tank
• septicemia
• septicity

septic (plural septics)

1. A substance that causes sepsis or putrefaction.
   • 1750, John Pringle, Further Experiments on Substances Resisting Putrefaction, in 1809, Charles Hutton, George Shaw, Richard Pearson (editors), The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Volume X: 1750—1755, page 86,

     But, in the prosecution of this subject, he had met with very few real septics; and found many substances, commonly accounted such, of a quite opposite nature.

2. A septic tank; a system for the disposal of sewage into a septic tank, a septic system.
   • 2008, Alexey Voinov, Systems Science and Modeling for Ecological Economics, page 244,

     The question is whether there are any spatial differences in how septics impact water quality, and whether these spatial variations should be considered when regulating septic improvement or removal.

(septic tank, septic system):

• septic in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• septic in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• septic at OneLook Dictionary Search

From Latin septem (“seven”).

septic (plural septics)

1. (mathematics) A mathematical object (function, curve, surface, etc.) of degree seven.
   • 2002, Ingrid C. Bauer, Fabrizio Catanese, Roberto Pignatelli, Canonical Rings of Surfaces Whose Canonical System has Base Points, Ingrid C. Bauer, et al. (editors) Complex Geometry: Collection of Papers Dedicated to Hans Grauert, page 66,

     Enriques states that it is possible to construct a family of septics with a singular curve of degree 7 and genus 4 having a triple point that degenerates to the above configuration […] .

   • 2003, Antonio Campillo, Santiago Encinas, Two Dimensional Complete Ideals, Luchezar L. Avramov, et al. (editors), Commutative Algebra: Interactions with Algebraic Geometry: International Conference, page 71,

     Now consider the two septics C = U⁷_i=1C_i, D = U⁷_i=1D_i and note that for i = 1,2,3,4,5,6 the lines C_i and D_i are parallel, so that the intersection of two septics S' consists of 6^6[sic] + 6 + 1 = 43 points and it is the singular set of a foliation of degree 6.

septic (not comparable)

1. (mathematics) Of the seventh degree or order.

Short form of Australian rhyming slang septic tank (“Yank”).

• Septic

septic (plural septics)

1. (Britain, Australia, New Zealand, rhyming slang, derogatory) An American, a Yank.
   • 2011, Roger Rees, Out of Calamity: Stories of Trauma Survivors, unnumbered page,

     “Didn′t enjoy the septics,” he says jokingly about the Americans.

   • 2012, John Righten, The Benevolence of Rogues, page 97,

     “What′s the septics′ Achilles heel?” I said using the slang septic tank, meaning Yank.