death Hear it!

death Definition

death (det̸h)

noun

  1. the act or fact of dying; permanent ending of all life in a person, animal, or plant
  2. the personification of death, usually pictured as a skeleton in a black robe, holding a scythe
  3. the state of being dead
  4. any ending resembling dying; total destruction the death of our hopes
  5. any condition or experience thought of as like dying or being dead
  6. the cause of death smoking will be the death of him
  7. murder or bloodshed
  8. Obsolete pestilence the Black Death

Etymology: ME deth < OE dēath, akin to OS dōth, OHG tōd, ON dauthi: see dead

death Related Forms

death′·like′ adjective

death Idioms

at death's door

nearly dead

be death on

to deal with in a devastating manner

do to death

  1. Archaic to kill
  2. to use, perform, etc. so often that it becomes tiresome; overdo

in at the death

  1. present at the killing of the quarry by the hounds
  2. present at the end or culmination

put to death

to kill or cause to be killed; execute

to death

to the extreme; very much he worries me to death

to the death

  1. to the very end (of a struggle, quarrel, etc.)
  2. to the end of life; always

death Synonyms

death

n.

  1. The cessation of life

    decease, dying, demise, passing, expiration, failure of vital functions, loss of life, dissolution, departure, release, parting, quietus, end of life, extinction, oblivion, mortality, euthanasia, passing away, loss, perishing, necrosis, brain death, rigor mortis, the Grim Reaper, Thanatos, Azrael, exit*, end*, finish*, finis*, roll call*, the way of all flesh*, debt to nature*, the Great Divide*, crossing the river*, crossing the bar*, the great adventure*, eternal rest*, last rest*, the deep end*, last roundup*, curtains*; see also destruction 1.

    Antonyms birth*, beginning*, life. *

  2. The state after death

    repose, sleep, separation, darkness, afterlife, other world, grave, tomb, future home, heaven, paradise, hell, purgatory, eternal rest*, Abraham's bosom*, the big sleep*; see also heaven 2, hell 1.

    Antonyms life*, living*, existence.

at death's door

failing, wasting away, nearly dead; see dying 1, 2.

put to death

execute, cause to be killed, murder; see kill 1.

to death

very much, extremely, to the extreme; see very.

to the death

to the end, to the bitter end, constantly, always; see forever 1, loyally.

death Law Definition

n

The end of life, when physical functions and vital signs stop.
brain death
An irreversible end to the functioning of the brain. Often used as the legal definition of death.

death Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • die: Alas London's coffee houses of old too died a death.
  • cause: Smoking causes 120,000 deaths a year - 13 every hour or more than 300 a day.

Converse of subject

punish: Moreover, opposition to the tenets of the accepted religion is apostasy or heresy and is punished by death.

Adjective modifier

  • sudden: Louise Neel RoSPA 102 28 July 2005 I was very saddened to hear the news of the sudden death of John Howard.
  • premature: The loss to the economy of premature death from alcohol misuse is around £ 2.4 billion each year.
  • untimely: Mark and his wife went on to be founders of the Leith School or Art before their untimely death.
  • tragic: The 1998 canal tour was cut short due to the tragic death of John Fleming.
  • accidental: We are working toward no accidental fire deaths occurring in West Yorkshire.
  • cardiac: Screenings can detect previously undiagnosed heart conditions, which if left untreated, can lead to sudden cardiac death ( SCD ).

Modifies a noun

  • toll: Officials say the final death toll is likely to increase.
  • penalty: At the initial phase only cases imposing either death penalty or maximum imprisonment term will be handled by jury trial.
  • knell: But redundancy need not be the death knell for a building; new uses can be found in most cases.
  • certificate: The " Cause of Death " entry on his death certificate just states " On War Service " .
  • sentence: Like many, he first took his diagnosis as a death sentence.
  • squad: Baghdad has been suffering from violence between Sunni and Shiite death squads.

Noun used with modifier

cot: Children of non-smoking parents are less likely to have chest infections and asthma, and are at a significantly reduced risk of cot death.

Possessives

father: Unfortunately, Nelsons birthplace was demolished just after his father's death and replaced by the present rectory.

Preposition: in

custody: A Prison Service spokesman said: " Every death in custody is a tragedy.

Preposition: by

  • crucifixion: Jesus is telling Peter that he will one day face death by crucifixion for following and proclaiming him.
  • driving: He admitted causing death by dangerous driving at Bournemouth Crown Court.