corpse

noun \ ˈkȯrps \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 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

National Die-In, a group co-founded by Parkland survivors, is in the early stages of organizing the demonstration where protesters lie in a corpse-like pose to emphasize the effect of shooting massacres.

— gray rohrer, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Disney faces Pulse, Parkland protest for support of 'NRA sellout' Putnam," 13 June 2018
She'd been stabbed 11 times with an ice pick before her killer posed her corpse by the water.

— keri blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Houston serial killer Danny Bible's lawyers say he is too sick to execute, predict botched procedure," 8 June 2018
The longest the movie spends on any one human being killed is when one of them is ripped in two by two dinosaurs fighting over his corpse.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "5 things to know about Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," 5 June 2018
Presumably, Delos is trying to trick his complicated code into fixing itself by showing him triggering images—like the bodies of hosts in one loop, Ford's dead corpse in another loop, and Teresa's murder and his own robot dopplegangers in this loop.

— mehera bonner, Harper's BAZAAR, "Westworld Just Debuted It's Most Confusing and Mind-Blowing Episode Yet," 4 June 2018
Traditional funeral customs that involve washing and touching a corpse are dangerous practices during an Ebola outbreak.

— helen branswell, STAT, "Vaccinations set to begin in Ebola outbreak epicenter," 26 May 2018
Gruesome: Documents: Indianapolis man kept corpse in a bathtub for 6 days Raining cash: Armored Brinks truck sends money flying on I-70 Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701.

— vic ryckaert, Indianapolis Star, "State closes day care after child was injured," 2 May 2018
In the cinema of Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia has been spiritually and morally dead for so long that all arguments to the contrary are just putting make-up on the corpse.

— ty burr, BostonGlobe.com, "An allegory revealed in a little boy lost," 7 Mar. 2018
Eric Koltz stands charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, tampering with evidence, obstruction of justice, and abuse of a corpse.

— barbara laker, Philly.com, "Two men charged after decomposed body found in Pennypack Park," 26 May 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.