[die] vi died ; dy.ing [ME dien, fr. or akin to ON deyja to die; akin to OHG touwen to die] (12c) 1: to pass from physical life: expire
2. a: to pass out of existence: cease "their anger died at these words" b: to disappear or subside gradually--often used with away, down, or out "the storm died down" 3 a: sink, languish "dying from fatigue" b: to long keenly or desperately "dying to go" c: to be overwhelmed by emotion "~ of embarrassment"
4. a: to cease functioning: stop "the motor died" b: to end in failure "the bill died in committee"
5: to become indifferent "~ to worldly things" -- die hard 1: to be long in dying "such rumors die hard"
2: to continue resistance against hopeless odds "hard-shell conservatism dies hard" -- die on the vine : to fail esp. at an early stage through lack of support or enthusiasm "let the proposal die on the vine"
[2]die n, pl dice or dies [ME dee, fr. MF de] (14c) 1 pl dice: a small cube marked on each face with from one to six spots and used usu. in pairs in various games and in gambling by being shaken and thrown to come to rest at random on a flat surface--often used figuratively in expressions concerning chance or the irrevocability of a course of action "the ~ was cast"
2. pl dies: dado 1a 3 pl dies: any of various tools or devices for imparting a desired shape, form, or finish to a material or for impressing an object or material: as a (1): the larger of a pair of cutting or shaping tools that when moved toward each other produce a desired form in or impress a desired device on an object by pressure or by a blow (2): a device composed of a pair of such tools b: a hollow internally threaded screw-cutting tool used for forming screw threads c: a mold into which molten metal or other material is forced d: a perforated block through which metal or plastic is drawn or extruded for shaping