corpse

noun \ ˈkȯrps \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Examples: corpse in a Sentence

Definition of corpse

1 archaic : a human or animal body whether living or dead

2 a : a dead body especially of a human being

b : the remains of something discarded or defunct

the corpses of rusting cars

See corpse defined for English-language learners

See corpse defined for kids

Examples of corpse in a Sentence

a battlefield strewn with corpses
the startling discovery of a corpse required a call to the police

Recent Examples of corpse from the Web

Kristin Chenoweth plays an East Peck socialite who — oops! — was found with her husband Edgar’s corpse in a suitcase in her trunk.

— chuck barney, Detroit Free Press, "TV highlights for the week of July 15-21," 14 July 2018
Fifty thousand people in Chicago saw Emmett Till’s corpse with their own eyes.

— deneen l. brown, Washington Post, "Emmett Till’s mother opened his casket and sparked the civil rights movement," 12 July 2018
Three days later Till’s corpse was found in the Tallahatchie River, unrecognizable from his wounds and decomposition.

— gabby raymond, Time, "The Justice Department Has Reopened Its Investigation of Emmett Till's Murder. Here Are 5 Things to Know About the Case," 12 July 2018
The Iranian-Canadian environmentalist’s corpse was shown to his wife hanging in a cell two weeks after his arrest.

— ian talley, WSJ, "U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Evin Prison, Broadcasting Chief and Others, Alleging Human Rights Abuses," 30 May 2018
The teen suspect faces murder and abuse of a corpse charges, News 5 Cleveland reports.

— jared gilmour, miamiherald, "A 98-year-old went missing. Her strangled body turned up hidden in her closet, Ohio cops say | Miami Herald," 17 Apr. 2018
Workers at the Lubbock city landfill in September 2005 spotted the suitcase and found Balwin’s corpse.

— Fox News, "‘Suitcase killer’ who dumped pregnant woman’s naked body in trash set for execution," 27 Mar. 2018
According to Fausset, Polk’s corpse has already been on the move a few times.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Tennessee Votes to Keep Polk’s Grave Where It Is. For Now," 20 Mar. 2018
Between the combat and decapitations, Macbeth’s horrified shaking, his cowering in the face of Banquo’s ghost and cradling of his wife’s corpse, Mr Kinnear’s is an all-action turn.

— The Economist, "The making of a Shakespearean actor," 15 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of corpse

Middle English corps, from Anglo-French cors, corps, from Latin corpus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

corpse Synonyms

Synonyms

bones, cadaver, carcass, corpus, remains, stiff;

Related Words

CORPSE Defined for English Language Learners

corpse

noun

Definition of corpse for English Language Learners

: a dead body

CORPSE Defined for Kids

corpse

noun \ ˈkȯrps \

Definition of corpse for Students

: a dead body

Word Root of corpse

The Latin word corpus, meaning “body,” and its form corporis give us the root corp or corpor. Words from the Latin corpus have something to do with the body. Corporal is an adjective describing something that has to do with a person's or animal's body. A corporal is a military officer who leads a body of soldiers. A corporation is a body, or group, of people who run a company. A corpse is a dead body.