septics

Noun (1)

septic (plural septics)

1. A substance that causes sepsis or putrefaction.
   • 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.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...
2. (dated) A person who has sepsis.
   • Acid-base balance data revealed moderately abnormal metabolic balance for both septics and nonseptics (in either direction) with normal respiratory balance or mild alkalosis.1983 May/June, Ivo Giovannini, Giuseppe Boldrini, Marco Castagneto, Gabriele Sganga, Giuseppe Nanni, Mauro Pittiruti, Giancarlo Castiglioni, “Respiratory Quotient and Patterns of Substrate...
3. A septic tank; a system for the disposal of sewage into a septic tank, a septic system.
   • 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.2008, Alexey Voinov, Systems Science and Modeling for Ecological Economics, page 244

Noun (2)

septic (plural septics)

1. A mathematical object (function, curve, surface, etc.) of degree seven.
   • 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[…].2002, Ingrid C. Bauer, Fabrizio Catanese, Roberto Pignatelli, “Canonical Rings of Surfaces Whose Canonical System has Base Points”, in Ingrid C. Bauer et al., editors, Complex Geometry: Collection of...

Noun (3)

septic (plural septics)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, UK, ethnic, slang, slur) An American, a Yank.
   • Typical septic. Can't understand why the rest of the world thinks he's a fuck-knuckle.1998 April 21, Justin Downey, “Re: rachel is awful cute!”, alt.nuke.the.USA, aus.flame.usa, and alt.flame

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