life-and-deathadj.
/lʌɪf(ə)n(d)ˈdɛθ/, U.S. /ˌlaɪfənˈdɛθ/ That involves or is regarded as involving life and death; (by extension) extremely urgent or dangerous; vitally important. Cf. a matter of life and death at life n. Phrases 13b and matter n.1 4b.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > [adjective] > most important
mosteOE
foremostc1000
headOE
headlyOE
nexta1200
umest1513
primary1565
headest1577
ruling1590
forward1591
capital1597
of the first magnitude1643
palmary1646
top1647
prepondering1651
headmost1661
home1662
life-and-death1804
palmarian1815
bada1825
key1832
première1844
1804 S. T. Coleridge Notebks. (1962) II. §2052 With all the whole Sailor's whole bustle & Bellow, & Life & Death Impatience.
1822 J. S. Mill Let. 14 Nov. in Wks. (1963) XII. 14 The life-and-death style in which I speak and write about it [sc. the Utilitarian Society].
1857 Edinb. Rev. 106 198 The third, the part he assigned to himself in the life-and-death struggle of his country.
1888 Mrs. H. Ward Robert Elsmere II. iii. xxiii. 226 I go about haunted by the seriousness, the life-and-death interest people throw into music.
1939 D. Thomas Let. 11 Sept. in Sel. Lett. (1966) 236 If you look at Tropic of Cancer..not as a universal life-&-death book,..you must enjoy..it.
1951 S. Spender World within World ii. 97 At once I was aware of nature as a life-and-death force.
1973 Times 21 Dec. 4/2 On Christmas Day and Boxing Day..all inland telegram deliveries..will be suspended. Special arrangements will be made to deliver ‘life and death’ messages.
2004 Time Out N.Y. 8 July 13 The ballsiest big-wave surfers share their life-and-death tales in Riding Giants.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2009; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1804