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death
[deth]
noun
the act of dying; the end of life; the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.
Synonyms: , , ,Antonyms: ,an instance of this.
a death in the family; letters published after his death.
the state of being dead.
to lie still in death.
It will mean the death of our hopes.
manner of dying.
a hero's death.
(usually initial capital letter)the agent of death personified, usually represented as a man or a skeleton carrying a scythe.
Also called spiritual death.loss or absence of spiritual life.
Christian Science.the false belief that life comes to an end.
bloodshed or murder.
Hitler was responsible for the death of millions.
a cause or occasion of death.
You'll be the death of me yet!
Archaic.pestilence; plague.
death
/ ɛθ /
noun
the permanent end of all functions of life in an organism or some of its cellular components
an instance of this
his death ended an era
a murder or killing
he had five deaths on his conscience
termination or destruction
the death of colonialism
a state of affairs or an experience considered as terrible as death
your constant nagging will be the death of me
a cause or source of death
(usually capital) a personification of death, usually a skeleton or an old man holding a scythe
until dead
bleed to death
a fight to the death
excessively
bored to death
likely to die soon
informalto contract a severe cold
to kill
to overuse (a joke, etc) so that it no longer has any effect
present when an animal that is being hunted is caught and killed
present at the finish or climax
informalvery ill
as if afraid for one's life
to kill deliberately or execute
death
The end of life of an organism or cell. In humans and animals, death is manifested by the permanent cessation of vital organic functions, including the absence of heartbeat, spontaneous breathing, and brain activity. Cells die as a result of external injury or by an orderly, programmed series of self-destructive events known as apoptosis. The most common causes of death for humans in well-developed countries are cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, certain chronic diseases such as diabetes and emphysema, lung infections, and accidents.
See also brain death
Other Word Forms
- predeath noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of death1
Idioms and Phrases
at death's door, in serious danger of death; gravely ill.
Two survivors of the crash are still at death's door.
catch one’s death (of cold), to become ill with a common cold after exposure to bad weather, especially when wearing clothing that fails to keep one warm or dry.
The kids will catch their death waiting at the bus stop in this rain.
to death, to an extreme degree; thoroughly.
sick to death of the heat.
be death on,
to be excessively strict about.
College professors are death on late work, so don't even ask for a deadline extension.
to be snobbish about or toward.
He's just death on anyone who doesn't appreciate opera.
to be able to cope with easily and successfully.
The third baseman is death on pop flies.
in at the death,
Fox Hunting. present at the kill.
present at the climax or conclusion of a situation.
do to death,
to kill, especially to murder.
to repeat too often, to the point of becoming monotonous and boring.
That theme has been done to death.
Example Sentences
Fire crews arrived a short time later, but Mr Gibson admitted he was worried about being forced into a life or death choice.
But the facts about brutal expansionism in the West Bank and mass death in Gaza speak for themselves.
Another Ukrainian, callsign 'Grinch', had been beaten to death with a shovel, one witness said.
She didn’t put the word “abuse” to the resentments and rages Dunne was well known for; she didn’t acknowledge alcohol’s role in the cascade of illnesses preceding Quintana’s death.
Adept at violent video games, he showed a "fascination with death" and an "absence of reference-points relating to the value of human life".
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Related Words
- decease
- demise
- dying
- expiration
- www.thesaurus.com
- passing
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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