death

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the act of killing

   The murderer had two deaths on their conscience.

2. 2
   noun

   the event of dying or departure from life

   Their death came as a terrible shock.

3. 3
   noun

   the permanent end of all life functions in an organism or part of an organism

   the animal died a painful death

4. 4
   noun

   the absence of life or state of being dead

   They seemed more content in death than they had ever been in life.

5. 5
   noun

   the time when something ends

   It was the death of all our plans.

6. 6
   noun

   The 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.

7. 7
   noun

   The 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.

8. 8
   noun

   The collapse or end of something.

   England scored a goal at the death to even the score at one all.

Etymology

From 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 (“de…