death (deaths plural )
1 n-var Death is the permanent end of the life of a person or animal., (Antonym: birth, life)
1.5 million people are in immediate danger of death from starvation., ...the thirtieth anniversary of her death..., There had been a death in the family..., He almost bled to death after a bullet severed an artery.
2 n-count A particular kind of death is a particular way of dying.
with supp
They made sure that he died a horrible death...
3 n-sing Thedeathof something is the permanent end of it.
usu the N of n
(=end)
It meant the death of everything he had ever been or ever hoped to be.
4 If you say that someone is at death's door, you mean they are very ill indeed and likely to die.
INFORMAL
at death's door phrase v-link PHR
He told his boss a tale about his mother being at death's door...
5 If you say that you will fight to the death for something, you are emphasizing that you will do anything to achieve or protect it, even if you suffer as a consequence.
fight to the death phrase V inflects (emphasis)
She'd have fought to the death for that child.
6 If you refer to a fight or contest as a fight to the death, you are emphasizing that it will not stop until the death or total victory of one of the opponents.
a fight to the death phrase
(emphasis)
He now faces a fight to the death to reach the quarter-finals.
7 If you say that something is a matter oflife and death, you are emphasizing that it is extremely important, often because someone may die or suffer great harm if people do not act immediately.
life and/or death phrase n of PHR, PHR n (emphasis)
Well, never mind, John, it's not a matter of life and death...
8 If someone is put to death, they are executed.
FORMAL
put sb to death phrase V inflects
Those put to death by firing squad included three generals.
9 You use to death after a verb to indicate that a particular action or process results in someone's death.
to death phrase PHR after v
He was stabbed to death., ...relief missions to try to keep the country's population from starving to death..., He almost bled to death after the bullet severed an artery.
10 You use to death after an adjective or a verb to emphasize the action, state, or feeling mentioned. For example, if you are frightened to death or bored to death, you are extremely frightened or bored.
to death phrase adj PHR, PHR after v (emphasis)
He scares teams to death with his pace and power...
brain death
Brain death occurs when someone's brain stops functioning, even though their heart may be kept beating using a machine. n-uncount
cot death (cot deaths plural )Cot death is the sudden death of a baby while it is asleep, although the baby had not previously been ill.
(BRIT) n-var
in AM, use crib death
crib death (crib deaths plural )Crib death is the sudden death of a baby while it is asleep, although the baby had not previously been ill.
(AM) n-var
in BRIT, use cot death
death blow , death-blow
If you say that an event or action deals adeath blowto something such as a plan or hope, or is adeath blowto something, you mean that it puts an end to it. (JOURNALISM) n-sing oft N to n
The deportations would be a death blow to the peace process...
death camp (death camps plural )A death camp is a place where prisoners are kept, especially during a war, and where many of them die or are killed. n-count
death certificate (death certificates plural )A death certificate is an official certificate signed by a doctor which states the cause of a person's death. n-count
death duties
Death duties were a tax which had to be paid on the money and property of someone who had died. This tax is now called inheritance tax.
(BRIT) n-plural
death knell , death-knell
If you say that something sounds thedeath knellfor a particular person or thing, you mean it will cause that person or thing to fail, end, or cease to exist. n-sing usu the N for/of n
The tax increase sounded the death knell for the business...
death mask (death masks plural ), death-mask A death mask is a model of someone's face, which is made from a mould that was taken of their face soon after they died. n-count
death penalty
Thedeath penalty is the punishment of death used in some countries for people who have committed very serious crimes. n-sing usu the N
If convicted for murder, both youngsters could face the death penalty.
death rate (death rates plural )The death rate is the number of people per thousand who die in a particular area during a particular period of time. n-count
By the turn of the century, Pittsburgh had the highest death rate in the United States.
death rattle , death-rattle
If you say that one thing is the death rattle of another, you mean that the first thing is a sign that very soon the second thing will come to an end. (JOURNALISM) n-sing
His rhetoric sounds like the death rattle of a fading leadership.
death row
If someone is ondeath row, they are in the part of a prison which contains the cells for criminals who have been sentenced to death.
(AM) n-uncount oft on N
He has been on Death Row for 11 years...
death sentence (death sentences plural )A death sentence is a punishment of death given by a judge to someone who has been found guilty of a serious crime such as murder. n-count
His original death sentence was commuted to life in prison.
death squad (death squads plural )Death squads are groups of people who operate illegally and carry out the killing of people such as their political opponents or criminals. n-count
death taxes
Death taxes were a tax which had to be paid on the money and property of someone who had died. This tax is now called inheritance tax.
(AM) n-plural
death throes , death-throes
1 n-plural The death throesof something are its final stages, just before it fails completely or ends.
LITERARY usu with poss
2 n-plural If a person or animal is in their death throes, they are dying and making violent, uncontrolled movements, usually because they are suffering great pain.
oft in poss N
death toll (death tolls plural ), death-toll The death toll of an accident, disaster, or war is the number of people who die in it. n-count
death trap (death traps plural ), death-trap If you say that a place or vehicle is a death trap, you mean it is in such bad condition that it might cause someone's death.
INFORMAL n-count
Badly-built kit cars can be death traps.
death warrant (death warrants plural ), death-warrant
1 n-count A death warrant is an official document which orders that someone is to be executed as a punishment for a crime.
2 If you say that someone is signing their own death warrant, you mean that they are behaving in a way which will cause their ruin or death.
sign one's own death warrant phrase V inflects
By accusing the King of murder, he signed his own death warrant.
death wish , death-wish
A death wish is a conscious or unconscious desire to die or be killed. n-sing
kiss of death
If you say that a particular event is thekiss of deathfor something, you mean that it is certain to make them fail or be a disaster. n-sing usu the N, oft N for/to n
Trying to please an audience is the kiss of death for an artist.
life-and-death
→
death
near-death experience (near-death experiences plural )A near-death experience is a strange experience that some people who have nearly died say they had when they were unconscious. n-count
sudden death
Sudden death is a way of quickly deciding the winner of something such as a football or basketball game or a golf tournament when there are equal scores at the time when it would normally end. In a sudden-death situation, the first team to score a goal or the first golfer to win a hole is the winner. n-uncount oft N n
