n. 1. the conversion of dead tissue into a hard shrunken mass, chiefly by dehydration. 2. (in dentistry) the application of a fixative to the dental pulp to prevent decomposition.
n. a waxlike substance, consisting mainly of fatty acids, into which the soft tissues of the body can be converted after death. This usually occurs when the body is buried in damp earth or is submerged in water. Adipocere delays post-mortem decomposition and is a spontaneous form of preservation without mummification.... adipocere
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