body count

noun

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Examples: body count in a Sentence

Definition of body count

1 : a count of the bodies of killed enemy soldiers

2 : the number of persons involved in a particular activity

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Examples of body count in a Sentence

The rising body count fueled opposition to the war.

Recent Examples of body count from the Web

So anything that slows their bird body count is a good step.

— amanda castleman, Good Housekeeping, "This $10 Accessory Will Stop Your Cat Killing Wild Birds," 23 Aug. 2017
Vietnam rarely had set-piece battles, but rather was seen by the U.S. as a war of attrition, with success measured in body counts and kill ratios.

— joel achenbach, Washington Post, "The men killed on a single, bloody day in Vietnam, and the haunting wall that memorializes them," 25 May 2018
And there were quite a few good guys in that body count, too.

— brian truitt, USA TODAY, "'Infinity War': 10 burning questions we have about Marvel's next 'Avengers' (spoilers!)," 6 May 2018
As Season 2 of Riverdale nears its finale, the Black Hood is back, and the body count is rising.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Riverdale Season 2 Episode 20: The Black Hood Returns and the Serpents Aren't Safe," 3 May 2018
This one is especially profound, the highest body count in his organization’s almost two decades of existence.

— steve johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Shedd vet headed to Africa to rescue thousands of rare tortoises found in a poacher’s home," 30 Apr. 2018
The pursuit takes several unexpected turns in the body count department — and galvanizes Brea into impressive take-charge action.

— gary goldstein, latimes.com, "Paula Patton stars in the surprisingly effective thriller 'Traffik'," 20 Apr. 2018
Tuesday’s election seems quintessentially West Virginian in this regard: Republican voters encountered two candidates with links to industries that have bled the state dry and racked up a body count.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "Are West Virginia Republicans in Trouble?," 9 May 2018
Researchers determined the reduced body count from chemical ratios in the animals’ tissues, which record dietary details.

— elisa neckar, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Big Cats," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'body count.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of body count

1962

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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BODY COUNT Defined for English Language Learners

body count

noun

Definition of body count for English Language Learners

: the number of people killed in a war, disaster, etc.

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body count

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