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death

noun
\ ˈdeth How to pronounce death (audio) \

Definition of death

1a : a permanent cessation of all vital (see vital sense 2a) functions : the end of life The cause of death has not been determined. managed to escape death prisoners were put to death death threats — compare brain death
b : an instance of dying a disease causing many deaths lived there until her death
2a : the cause or occasion of loss of life drinking was the death of him
b : a cause of ruin the slander that was death to my character— Wilkie Collins The drought was death to the farm.
3 capitalized, folklore : the destroyer of life represented usually as a skeleton with a scythe when death comes to take me away
4 : the state of being no longer alive : the state of being dead
5a : the passing or destruction of something inanimate the death of vaudeville
b : extinction the death of the dinosaurs
6 law : civil death
7 : slaughter death and destruction
8 Christian Science : the lie of life in matter : that which is unreal and untrue
at death's door
: close to death : critically ill
to death
: beyond endurance : excessively bored to death scared to death of spiders I am sick to death of hearing your excuses. Most high rollers prefer Atlantic City and Las Vegas, where they are comped to death and have more diversions.— William G. Flanagan et al.
Other Words from death Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about death

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Examples of death in a Sentence

birth, life, and eventual death The newspaper did not report the cause of death. People around the world mourned his death. The accident resulted in two deaths. The number of deaths from cancer is rising. He died a violent death. There has been a death in the family. The general met his death on the battlefield. the death of a marriage Death could be seen lurking in the corner of the painting.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Palmer Superior Court by their parents, Jimmy Flores and Janelle Quackenbush, blames Enstar Natural Gas and multiple property owners, property managers and real-estate companies for contributing to their deaths. — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "Family’s civil lawsuit blames property owners, Enstar for death of five girls in 2017 Butte fire," 17 Aug. 2019 Combine those results with the latest rise in prominence and rhetoric of white nationalists, many of whom generally downplay the pogrom’s death toll or deny the event happened at all, and a troubling correlation is easy to see. — Tony Rehagen, BostonGlobe.com, "A Holocaust survivor built a remarkable monument to hope and memory. Now that she’s gone, who will remind us?," 16 Aug. 2019 Initially, two people were said to have been killed; the death toll was subsequently raised to seven. — Gregg Herken, Twin Cities, "Gregg Herken: Russia’s mysterious ‘new’ nuclear weapons aren’t really new," 16 Aug. 2019 In the form of stories. The debut episode features a woman named Lucy Kalanithi who talks about navigating life with her young daughter after the death of her husband. — Collier Meyerson, WIRED, "Anxiously Seeking the Perfect Anti-Anxiety App," 16 Aug. 2019 Barkha Dutt, a television pundit, filed a complaint against trolls who had sent her a death threat and published her personal telephone number as that of an escort service. — The Economist, "The global gag on free speech is tightening," 15 Aug. 2019 Viral videos have incited death threats against public health advocates. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "It’s time to end “trending” on Twitter," 13 Aug. 2019 At least five people were killed and others were injured in the blast, but an official death toll has not been confirmed as Russian officials have issued conflicting statements. — Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Town reportedly evacuated following Russian rocket explosion: Here's what we know now," 13 Aug. 2019 For the first time, preliminary clinical-trial results suggest that two experimental Ebola drugs can lower the death toll of the deadly virus, health officials announced Monday. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Two Ebola drugs boost survival rates, according to early trial data," 13 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'death.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of death

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for death

Middle English deeth, from Old English dēath; akin to Old Norse dauthi death, deyja to die — more at die

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More Definitions for death

death

noun
How to pronounce death (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of death

: the end of life : the time when someone or something dies
: the ending of a particular person's life
: the permanent end of something that is not alive : the ruin or destruction of something

See the full definition for death in the English Language Learners Dictionary

death

noun
\ ˈdeth How to pronounce death (audio) \

Kids Definition of death

1 : the end or ending of life
2 : the cause of loss of life Drinking will be the death of him.
3 : the state of being dead

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