septic

adj

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

   “septic tank”

   “a septic system”

4. (not-comparable)Of the seventh degree or order.

noun

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. (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.”

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.”

4. 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[…].”

   “Now consider the two septics C = U⁷ᵢ₌₁Cᵢ, D = U⁷ᵢ₌₁Dᵢ and note that for i = 1,2,3,4,5,6 the lines Cᵢ and Dᵢ are parallel, so that the intersection of two septics S' consists of 6⁶^([sic]) + 6 + 1 = 43 points and it is the singular set of a foliation of degree 6.”

5. (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.”

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

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

6. (Australia, Cockney, New-Zealand, UK, alt-of, alternative, slang)Alternative form of septic; an American.

   “Not only didn′t he want to tour he didn′t even want “Septics” (“Septic Tanks,″ meaning Yanks) to buy his records.”