/dɛθ/, /diːθ/, /dɛːθ/
OriginFrom Middle English deeth, from Old English dēaþ, from Proto-West Germanic *dauþu, from Proto-Germanic *dauþuz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰówtus. More at die.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots daeth, daith, death, deeth, deith (“death”), North Frisian Duar, duas, düüs (“death”), Saterland Frisian Dood (“death”), West Frisian dea (“death”), Dutch dood (“death”), German Tod, Todt (“death”), Limburgish doead (“death”), Luxembourgish Doud (“death”), Yiddish טויט (toyt, “death”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål død (“death”), Faroese deyði (“death”), Icelandic dauði (“death”), Norwegian Nynorsk daude, død (“death”), Swedish död (“death”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌿𐌸𐌿𐍃 (dauþus, “death”).
- countable, uncountableThe cessation of life and all associated processes; the end of an organism's existence as an entity independent from its environment and its return to an inert, nonliving state.
“My grandfather died a violent death, which saddened the whole family.”
“But foraſmuch as this [the faintneſs of the Heart] is a very bad and heavy diſtemper, and a fore-runner of death, therefore 'tis called a timely death.”
“Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly.”
- countable, uncountableExecution (in the judicial sense).
“The serial killer was sentenced to death.”
“Thirty years after Gao Chengyong embarked on a succession of 11 rape-murders of women in northwest China, a court sentenced him to death on Friday, following an investigation that involved sifting thr”
- capitalized, countable, often, uncountableThe personification of death as a (usually male) hooded figure with a scythe; the Grim Reaper.
“When death walked in, a chill spread through the room.”
“And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, & his name that sat on him was Death"”
“[T]o thoſe, Jonathan, who know what death is, and what havock and deſtruction he can make, before a man can well wheel about—'tis like a whole age.”
- countable, uncountableThe collapse or end of something.
“England scored a goal at the death to even the score at one all.”
“Buyer (negotiating): You were at two-fifty on that one. Go on, then, what's the death on that? Seller: Two hundred pounds is the absolute death. Buyer: Sold. Thank you.”
“He may even find himself being blamed if the project dies a quick and horrible death at the box office or is unceremoniously axed by the network.”
- countable, especially, figuratively, uncountableA cause of great stress, exhaustion, embarrassment, or another negative condition (for someone).
“This bake sale is going to be the death of me!”
- countable, figuratively, uncountableSpiritual lifelessness.
- The personification of death, often a skeleton with a scythe, and one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
“Death can be seen on a tarot card.”
“7 And when hee had opened the fourth seale, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, & his name that sate on him was Death, and hell followed ”
“Oh cold, cold, rigid, dreadful Death, set up thine altar here, and dress it with such terrors as thou hast at thy command: for this is thy dominion!”
Formsdeaths(plural) · deth(alternative, obsolete)