This rare Hebrew term appears only in the priestly regulations concerning leprosy in fabrics (Leviticus 13:55). It describes a destructive process—a boring or eating through of material that renders a garment ritually unclean. The word captures the consuming nature of the decay, as if something is actively devouring the fibers. The multilingual evidence (corrosion, corroding) emphasizes the penetrative, destructive aspect rather than simple surface contamination.