Definition of death
1 a
: a permanent cessation of all vital (see vital 2a) functions : the end of life
- The cause of death has not been determined.
- managed to escape death
- prisoners were put to death
- death threats
b
: an instance of dying
- a disease causing many deaths
- lived there until her death
2 a
: the cause or occasion of loss of life
- drinking was the death of him
b
: a cause of ruin
- the slander that was death to my character
- —Wilkie Collins
- The drought was death to the farm.
3
capitalized, folklore
: the destroyer of life represented usually as a skeleton with a scythe
- when death comes to take me away
4
: the state of being no longer alive : the state of being dead
5 a
: the passing or destruction of something inanimate
- the death of vaudeville
b
: extinction
- the death of the dinosaurs
7
: slaughter
- death and destruction
8
Christian Science
: the lie of life in matter : that which is unreal and untrue
—
at death's door
: close to death : critically ill
—
to death
: beyond endurance : excessively
- bored to death
- scared to death of spiders
- I am sick to death of hearing your excuses.
- Most high rollers prefer Atlantic City and Las Vegas, where they are comped to death and have more diversions.
- —William G. Flanagan et al.
