~ 1
■ verb ( ~s , dying , ~d )
1》 stop living.
↘( ~ out ) become extinct.
↘be forgotten.
2》 (often ~ away/down ) become less loud or strong.
3》 informal used to emphasize strong desire, embarrassment, shock, etc.: I nearly ~d when I saw them.
↘( be dying for/to do something ) be very eager for something.
Phrases
~ a (or the ) death Brit. fail utterly or come to an end.
~ hard change very slowly: old habits ~ hard.
never say ~ said to encourage someone not to give up hope.
to ~ for informal extremely good or desirable.
Origin
ME: from ON deyja , of Gmc origin; related to dead .
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~ 2
■ noun
1》 singular form of dice .
2》 ( plural ~s ) a device for cutting or moulding metal or for stamping a design on coins or medals.
3》 ( plural ~s ) Architecture the cubic part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice; a dado or plinth.
Phrases
the ~ is cast a decision has been taken that cannot be changed.
( as ) straight as a ~
1》 completely straight.
2》 entirely open and honest.
Origin
ME: from OFr. de , from L. datum 'something given or played', neut. past participle of dare .
Usage
In modern standard English, the singular ~ (rather than dice ) for sense 1 is relatively uncommon. Dice is widely used for both the singular and the plural.