corpse

noun \ ˈkȯrps \

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

The 1980 massacre of student protesters in South Korea is the subject of this novel, as a teenager searches for his best friend’s corpse.

— joumana khatib, New York Times, "Paperback Row," 27 Oct. 2017
More was needed than the assistance of friends and family to inter a corpse.

— brian walsh, Smithsonian, "When You Die, You’ll Probably Be Embalmed. Thank Abraham Lincoln For That," 1 Nov. 2017
The investigation into Swedish journalist Kim Wall's death eclipses its second week, with the grisly new charge of abuse of a corpse brought against the Danish inventor accused of killing the 30-year old on his private submarine.

— rachel siegel, Washington Post, "Danish inventor, charged with journalist’s gruesome death, admits to dismembering her body," 30 Oct. 2017
Sammie Miller, 28, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and being a felon with a firearm.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Boyfriend beat missing Milwaukee woman before fatally shooting her in Racine County, charges say," 13 Sep. 2017
The man who dumped Cashin's body, Alexis De Leon, pleaded guilty Wednesday to tampering with evidence and abusing a corpse.

— cory shaffer, cleveland.com, "North Olmsted man admits killing partner for disobedience, gets life in prison," 13 Sep. 2017
While the conservatives who helped reanimate this legislative corpse are in no danger of losing their seats come the 2018 midterms, members of the Tuesday Group aren’t so lucky.

— reihan salam, Slate Magazine, "Moderate Republicans Are Wimps," 5 May 2017
Shiraishi has been arrested on the charge of abandoning a corpse, police told CNN, and investigation is still ongoing.

— james griffiths, CNN, "Japanese man arrested after body parts found in cooler," 31 Oct. 2017
The crime: violating human dignity by posing with his boot on a corpse.

— anne barnard, New York Times, "Syrian Soldier Is Guilty of War Crime, a First in the 6-Year Conflict," 3 Oct. 2017

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.