/ deθ; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] the fact of sb dying or being killed :
a sudden / violent / peaceful, etc. death
the anniversary of his wife's death
an increase in deaths from cancer
He died a slow and painful death.
2.
[ U ] the end of life; the state of being dead :
Two children were burnt to death in the fire (= they died as a result of the fire) .
He's drinking himself to death (= so that it will kill him) .
Police are trying to establish the cause of death .
Do you believe in life after death ?
a death camp (= a place where prisoners are killed, usually in a war)
He was sentenced to death (= to be executed ) .
3.
[ U ] death of sth the permanent end or destruction of sth :
the death of all my plans
the death of communism
4.
(also Death ) [ U ] ( literary ) the power that destroys life, imagined as human in form :
Death is often shown in paintings as a human skeleton.
—see also sudden death
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IDIOMS
- at death's door
- be the death of sb
- do sth to death
- frighten / scare sb to death
- look / feel like death warmed up
- put sb to death
- to death
- to the death
—more at catch verb , cheat verb , dice verb , die verb , fate , fight verb , flog , grim , kiss noun , life , matter noun
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English dēath , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch dood and German Tod , also to die .