deathdeath /deθ/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 
The death of his mother came as a tremendous shock. Cancer is the leading cause of death in women. How Danielle met her death (=died) will probably never be known. His friend was close to death. His family are still mourning John’s tragic death. the anniversary of Lenin’s deathbleed/burn/starve etc to death a homeless man who froze to deathbeat/stab/shoot etc somebody to death The 76-year-old pensioner was beaten to death.put/sentence/condemn somebody to death (=kill someone or decide they should be killed as an official punishment) Legend has it that Sarah was put to death for practising witchcraft. Members of the family have received death threats. He remained president until his untimely death (=death at a surprisingly young age). Two of the passengers managed to escape death (=avoid being killed). b)[countable] a particular case when someone dies OPP birth: a campaign to reduce the number of traffic deathsdeath from deaths from cancer I heard there’d been a death in the family.2 the death of something the permanent end of something OPP birth: The latest bombing is the death of all our hopes. These regulations could spell the death (=lead to the end) of the American car industry.3to death informal a)used to emphasize that a feeling or emotion is very strongbe bored/scared/frightened etc to death She was scared to death of what might happen next. I’m absolutely sick to death of it (=very angry, bored, or unhappy about something).bore/scare/love etc somebody to death He drove at a speed which frightened Leonora to death. She used to worry me to death. b)used to say that an action is continued with a lot of effort and for as long as possible: They just work you to death in that place.4do something to death informal to perform or present an idea, joke etc so often that people become tired of it: Most of his material has been done to death by numerous comedians.5to the death a)until someone is dead: They will fight to the death rather than give an inch of ground. soldiers locked in a struggle to the death b)until you achieve something even if it means that you suffer: The leadership election has become a fight to the death.6Death a creature that looks like a human skeleton, used in paintings, stories etc to represent the fact that people die7be at death’s door to be very ill and likely to die8look/feel like death warmed up British English, look/feel like death warmed over American English informal to look or feel very ill or tired9you’ll catch your death (of cold) spoken old-fashioned used to warn someone that they are likely to become ill because they are wet or cold10somebody will be the death of me spoken old-fashioned used to say that someone is causing you a lot of worry and problems: That boy will be the death of me! → Black Death, → kiss of death at kiss2(3), → life and death at life(10)COLLOCATIONSverbscause death· We still don't know what caused his death.lead to/result in death· Any delay in calling an ambulance may have resulted in her death.bleed/freeze/burn/starve to death· Thousands of people are starving to death.stab/beat/kick somebody to death· He was stabbed to death in an attack outside his home.sentence/condemn somebody to death (=decide someone must die as an official punishment)· Two men were sentenced to death for the killings.be put to death (=be killed as a punishment for something you have done)· The rebels were defeated and their leaders put to death.escape death (=avoid being killed)· He fell while climbing in the mountains, and only narrowly escaped death.meet your death formal (=die)· He met his death tragically while on holiday in Greece.mourn somebody's death (=feel very sad after someone has died)· The entertainment world was last night mourning the actor's death.adjectivessudden death· Her sudden death shocked the world.tragic death· Her family are trying to come to terms with Anna's tragic death.early death (=at a young age)· Paul's first marriage ended with the early death of his wife.untimely death formal (=at a young age)· He remained president until his untimely death in 2004.premature death technical (=earlier than people usually die)· The disease is a significant cause of premature death in the developing world.accidental death (=caused by accident, not deliberately)· The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.violent death (=caused by violence, especially deliberately)· There is a high rate of violent death in America.certain death (=definitely going to happen)· Many of the prisoners faced certain death.death + NOUNthe death penalty (=the legal punishment of death)· In the west, most countries have abolished the death penalty.the death sentence (=the legal punishment of death)· Because of his young age, the judge decided not to impose the death sentence.the death rate (=the number of people who die each year from something)· The death rate from heart attacks is about 50% higher for smokers.the death toll (=the number of people who die in an accident)· Officials fear the death toll could be as high as 3000.a death threat (=a threat to kill someone deliberately)· The writer had received a number of death threats.phrasesthe cause of death· The cause of death was a bullet in his chest.a sentence of death (=the official punishment of death for a crime)· There were strong protests against the sentence of death.
WORD ORIGINdeath
Origin:
Old EnglishEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A comet appeared at the time of the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.
- After her husband's death, she moved back to California.
- Authorities counted 50 traffic deaths over the holiday weekend.
- Basquiat's work had become well known even before his untimely death at age 27.
- Catherine will inherit a large sum of money on her father's death.
- Maretti lived in Miami until his death.
- The bomb caused at least one death, and several serious injuries.
- The latest death toll in the Turkish earthquake is over 2000.
- The number of deaths from AIDS is still increasing in many parts of the world.
- The policy provides full insurance in the case of accidental death.
- No, the people who had ordered Jay's death - they were the ones who had to be punished.
- Perhaps, thought Robert, I should sentence him to death.
- Such deaths are normal consequences of Western contact with previously isolated tribes.
- The news of his impending death had badly ruffled his composure.
- The other 5 percent of deaths were caused by various weapons and methods, including burning.
- The Smithsonian label was shaken by the death of Rinzler last year at the age of 59.
- Though infected lions can meet a miserable death, Packer reports that 60 percent of those with distemper have survived.
Longman Language Activatorto do something that may hurt or kill you
to do something very dangerous, especially in order to help someone, when you know that you may get killed because of your action: · Every day firefighters risk their lives in the course of their duty.risk your life to do something: · She risked her life to save the drowning child.
if you do something at your own risk , you must accept that it is dangerous and that it is your own fault if you are injured or killed: · Anyone who swims in this part of the river does it at their own risk.
informal to do something very dangerous in order to help someone - use this especially when you think the action is unnecessary: · Don't do it. It's not worth risking your neck.risk your neck to do something: · "Come back!" Ned shouted. "You can't risk your neck to save a dog!"
to do something that could have a very dangerous or harmful result: · Failure to stick to the safety rules is simply playing with fire.· These men are criminals. If you get involved with them, you'll be playing with fire.
informal to put yourself in a situation in which you may get killed, especially when it is a situation which you cannot control: · The teenager took his life in his hands in trying to avoid being caught by police.· You'll be taking your life in your hands if you let Eric drive you home!
to deliberately do something that is so dangerous that you may easily get killed, especially when you do it for excitement: · When young people experiment with drugs, they're dicing with death.
formal if you warn someone that they do something at their peril , you mean that it would be very dangerous for them to do it: · Any climber who neglects these simple precautions does so at their peril.· Ignore this warning at your peril.
when someone dies · After her husband's death, she moved back to California.· The bomb caused at least one death, and several serious injuries.death from · The number of deaths from AIDS is still increasing in many parts of the world.the death of somebody formal · A comet appeared at the time of the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C.the death toll (=the number of deaths in one terrible event) · The latest death toll in the Turkish earthquake is over 2000.accidental death (=death resulting from an accident - used in official contexts) · The policy provides full insurance in the case of accidental death.untimely death (=death that comes earlier than is normally expected) · Basquiat's work had become well known even before his untimely death at age 27.on somebody's death (=when they die) · Catherine will inherit a large sum of money on her father's death.
the number of people who have died in accidents or from illnesses, especially when this is being calculated officially: · A fifth of all road fatalities are caused by people not wearing seatbelts.· An attack on the city would cause tens of thousands of civilian fatalities.
formal the deaths of people in an accident or a war: · The plane managed to crash-land on St. Lawrence Island with no loss of life.· The Bishop condemned what he called "this futile and tragic loss of life".
when someone is going to die very soon if someone is dying , they will die very soon because they are very ill or very badly injured: · He gave the dying man a drop of water from his flask.· The priest was killed as he was giving the last rites to a dying man.lie dying: · Even as she lay dying in a hospital bed, she was still thinking of her children.
formal to be going to die very soon: · When the fisherman spotted the boat, its crew were already close to death.· Davis had suffered a stroke and was near death.
to be lying in your bed, about to die: · My grandmother gave me that ring when she was on her deathbed.· Thirty years later, on her deathbed, she confessed to the crime.
spoken to be extremely ill and likely to die soon: · His skin was so pale, he looked like he was at death's door.
to die in an accident, war, fight etc · The firefighters died when the warehouse floor collapsed.die/be killed in an accident/explosion/the war etc · Two people were killed and four injured in a gas explosion this morning.die/be killed in action (=be killed in a war) · His brother was killed in action in Vietnam.
: starve/freeze/bleed etc to death to die because of having no food, being too cold, losing blood etc: · The baby starved to death.· He bled to death after being stabbed repeatedly.
to be killed in a terrible event - used especially in news reports and descriptions of past events: · Hundreds of people lost their lives when the ship overturned in a storm.· Supporters continue to visit the site where Colosio lost his life to an assassin's bullet.
British informal to die in a violent or unpleasant way - use this especially when you think the person who died deserved this: · At the end of the film the prisoners are rescued, and the pirates come to a sticky end.
to die in a terrible event - used especially in literature and news reports: · Everyone aboard the ship perished when it sank off the coast of Maine.· Five children perished before firefighters could put out the blaze.
if a military force suffers heavy losses , a very large number of its soldiers die while fighting: · US forces withdrew after suffering heavy losses.· The troops suffered heavy losses fighting their way through the Italian countryside.
to die when you are still young to die when you are young: · Like so many other pop stars, Jim Morrison died young.· a memorial to tens of thousands of allied soldiers, many of whom died so young
to die when you are still young, strong, and active, as a result of an accident, sudden illness etc: · The movie tells the story of a popular athlete cut down in his prime.be cut off/down in your prime by: · Dolly was an energetic woman who was suddenly cut off in her prime by scarlet fever.
someone's death that happens before it would normally be expected: · James Dean had made just three movies before his untimely death in 1955.
ill especially British suffering from bad health or not feeling well: · Mel was so ill that she had to stay in bed for a month.seriously ill (=very ill): · Apparently Don's wife is seriously ill, and they think it might be cancer.critically ill (=extremely ill): · The baby caught a virus and became critically ill.terminally ill (=so ill that you are going to die): · psychological support for terminally ill patientsmentally ill (=suffering from a mental illness): · Mentally ill patients have the same rights as anyone else.lie ill (=be ill in bed): · All that week, Catherine lay ill, drifting in and out of consciousness.
especially American ill: · Where's Mary today? I hope she's not sick again.· Sheila spent months looking after her sick mother.be off sick (=not at work or school because of illness): · Gary phoned to say that he's off sick today.be off work sick/be in bed sick: · I'm sorry I didn't reply to your e-mail. I was in bed sick for a couple of days.sick with the flu/a virus etc (=ill as a result of flu etc): · Grant Hill played despite being sick with the flu for the past ten days.be sick with worry/fear/exhaustion etc (=so worried etc that you feel sick): · We were dirty, hungry, cold and sick with exhaustion.
especially spoken to be ill, but not seriously ill: · Sarah's not very well - she's got a throat infection.· Jed's Mum says he's not well, so he's staying at home today.
formal ill: · Mrs Hedges is unwell today, so her class will be taken by Mr Collier.· Tom had been unwell for some time but had refused to see a doctor.
British informal ill: · Dad was always out, Mum was often poorly, and I had to look after the rest of the kids.· "I'm afraid your grandmother's very poorly," the nurse on duty said.
informal to be very ill, especially as a result of a serious injury or disease: · You'd better get an ambulance - she's in a pretty bad way.· Martin came back from Africa with malaria, and he was in a pretty bad way for months.
British /death warmed over American spoken to look ill and pale, especially because you did not get enough sleep or are suffering for the effects of too much alcohol: · Kate didn't sleep a wink last night. She looks like death warmed up.· Boy, you look like death warmed over this morning!
to kill someone to make someone die, especially deliberately or violently: · He claims that he didn't mean to kill his wife.· The police believe the man may kill again.· What the hell were you doing! You could have killed me!· Official sources say that 20 people were killed in last night's air raids.· My sixteen-year-old son Louis was killed by a drunk driver two years ago.
to deliberately kill someone, especially after planning to do it: · Wilson is accused of murdering his daughter and her boyfriend.· One of the country's top judges has been murdered by the Mafia.
to murder an important or famous person, especially for political reasons: · President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.· an attempt to assassinate the Pope
to kill someone by beating them, kicking them, or attacking them with a knife: · The court heard how the man was beaten to death by racist thugs.· A social worker was found stabbed to death in her office last night.· Smith had apparently been kicked to death.
to kill someone by putting a very harmful substance in their food or drink: · He believed that somebody was trying to poison him.· She had already poisoned three members of her own family with arsenic.
to kill someone by holding their face under water for a long time: · He accused his brother of trying to drown him.
to kill someone by pressing on their throat with both hands or with something such as a piece of string so that they cannot breathe: · Police said that the victim had been strangled.· He slid his hands around her neck and tried to strangle her.
informal to kill someone - often used humorously: bump off somebody/bump somebody off: · He kept marrying rich women and then bumping them off.have somebody bumped off (=arrange for someone to be killed): · His uncle decided to have him bumped off.
informal to kill someone, especially because they are a threat or their death would be convenient: · Perhaps his wife had taken the opportunity to do away with her rival.
to cause death to cause someone's death - use this especially about accidents, diseases, or substances: · A car drove onto the pavement, killing three of Mrs Maguire's children.· The explosion killed 32 people.· The disease has already killed more than 2000 in Latin America.· Many people do not realize that these drugs are dangerous and can kill.be killed in a crash/accident etc: · James Dean was killed in a car crash in 1955.
to make someone die: · Rhubarb leaves, either raw or cooked, can cause violent stomach pains or even death.· Research is being done into the virus that caused the death of 15,000 seals last summer.· The injuries sustained by the victim were not sufficient to have caused death in a healthy person.
to cause the death of a group of plants or animals: kill off something: · It was the cold winter of 1992 that finally killed off the last of the roses.· Pollution in the lakes and streams has been killing off many species of fish.kill something off: · If you plant your seedlings out too soon, a late frost might kill them off.
to kill things, especially plants and trees, so that they can never start to grow again: · A vast amount of the Amazonian rainforest is being destroyed every day.· Milk is heat treated for a few seconds to destroy bacteria.
if an illness is a killer , it kills a lot of people, especially because there is no cure: · In those days measles was a major killer.· Diphtheria is still a killer in many developing countries.
to kill a complete group or race of people, or all of a type of animal or plant, so that it no longer exists: wipe out somebody/something: · The entire village was wiped out.· Archaeologists think that massive floods could have wiped out the dinosaurs.wipe somebody/something out: · The fur trade has wiped leopards out in some areas.
to kill large numbers of the people, animals, or plants in a particular place: · Cambodia's 21-year war decimated the wildlife population.· His prize herd of cows has been decimated by an unknown disease.
when someone is killed as a punishment to kill someone as a punishment for a serious crime: · King Charles I was executed on 30th January 1649.· The two young men spent 6 months in jail waiting to be executed.execute somebody for something (=because of a particular crime): · This is a backward and cruel society, in which people are executed for homosexuality and adultery.
written to officially arrange for someone that you have power over to be killed - used especially in historical descriptions: · The chief priests wanted to arrest Jesus and put him to death.· No woman had been put to death in the state since the American Revolution.have somebody put to death: · The queen would have people put to death for her own amusement.
the system of killing criminals as a legal punishment: · I don't believe bringing back capital punishment would reduce crime.· Most people that we questioned were against capital punishment.
the legal punishment of being killed for a serious crime: · The death penalty does not exist in Britain.· Do you think they should bring back the death penalty?carry the death penalty (=to be a crime for which the punishment is death): · Murder is one of the few offences that carries the death penalty.
the punishment of death that a judge decides to give to someone who is guilty of a serious crime: receive/be given a death sentence: · He is the youngest person ever to be given a death sentence in San Diego County.
British /capital offense American, also capital crime an offence or crime that will be punished by death: · Drug-smuggling is a capital offence in many countries.
if a criminal is on death row , they are in prison before being killed as punishment for a crime, especially in the US: · Larson has been on death row since 1995 for murdering a taxi driver.
a condemned man, prisoner etc is in prison before he or she is killed as punishment for a crime: · The state allows no communication with a condemned man.· Here are the kitchens where the condemned prisoner's last meal was prepared.
when a situation, problem accident etc is bad very bad - use this about problems, accidents, illnesses, or crimes: · The recent storms have caused serious damage.· The climbers got into serious difficulties and had to be air-lifted to safety.· In the last two weeks, the situation has become more serious, with riots and strikes spreading across the country.· Violent crime is a serious problem in and around the capital.· The boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.
a problem, illness, or accident that is bad is severe, and makes you feel worried: · The pain was really bad.· Paul's off work - he's got a bad cold.· Judy had been in a bad car crash several years before, and was still too nervous to drive.things are bad (=a situation is bad) spoken: · Things are bad in York - some people's houses have been flooded three times.
formal a grave situation or mistake is very serious and worrying because people are in danger and because the situation seems likely to get worse: · The situation is grave -- war now seems inevitable.· The ambassador declared that there would be grave consequences if the hostages were not released.grave danger: · A thick fog descended on the mountain, and I knew that we were in grave danger.grave risk: · There was a grave risk that the operation would leave him partly paralysed.grave mistake/error: · "It would be a grave mistake," said the president, "to ignore the problem, and pretend that it will go away."
a critical situation is very serious and dangerous and might get worse very suddenly - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve: · The situation is said to be critical and the army has been brought in to disperse the mob.· Things are now critical. Hospitals have no medicine, and people are running out of food.be in a critical conditionBritish /be in critical condition American (=so ill or badly injured that you could die): · Eight people were killed and four are still in a critical condition.
a desperate situation or problem is very serious or dangerous, and it does not seem possible that it will improve - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve: · Refugees on the border are living in appalling conditions with desperate shortages of food, medicine and water.· The situation was desperate. The enemy were now only a mile away.be in desperate need of something: · The hospital is full of people in desperate need of medical attention.
an acute illness, problem, or situation is one that has become very serious or dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly: · She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis.· Patients suffering from acute depression may well need medication.· Nowhere is the problem more acute than Los Angeles County, where gang-related homicide is on the increase.· In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute.
a situation or piece of news that is grim is serious and unpleasant, and people think it will not get better: · The situation is grim for the innocent people, caught up in this conflict.· Rescue workers are continuing the grim task of searching for bodies.grim news: · The next few weeks brought more grim news, as the economic crisis began to deepen. grim prospect (=something bad that will probably happen): · Two thousand car workers face the grim prospect of redundancy.things look grim (=the situation seems grim): · Things look pretty grim for farmers at the moment.
spoken use this to say that something is serious and not something you should joke about: · Getting up for work at 5am every day is no laughing matter, especially in winter.· English teachers often joked that they could not pass the exam, but for the students it was no laughing matter.
if a situation is a matter of life and death , it is very serious, and what you do will affect whether the situation ends well or not - use this especially when it is possible that someone will die: · People grow their own food, and the success of their harvest is literally a matter of life or death.· In this town football isn't just a game - it's a matter of life and death.
informal if you say that a situation or event is no joke , it is difficult or unpleasant: · It's no joke if you have an accident in the mountains -- it's fifty miles to the nearest hospital.· Crossing the road was no joke with all the early morning traffic.
to do something too much to do something with too much effort, so that you do not get the result you want: · You're hitting the ball too hard.· I think you've been working too hard - you need a rest· Many parents try too hard to engineer a safe environment for their child, with disastrous results.
especially spoken to do or say something too much, especially to do too much work or exercise: · You need more exercise, but be careful not to overdo it.· The tour guide managed to be funny and informative, without overdoing it.
to get too angry or too worried when something happens which is not in fact very serious: · Don't you think you're overreacting a little? I'm only ten minutes late.overreact to: · I think people have overreacted to the advertisement - we didn't intend of offend anyone.
to do something so much or to such a great degree that you offend, upset, or annoy people, especially because you do not know when it is reasonable to stop: · Officials were worried that the Chairman's criticisms had gone too far.· John had taken the joke too far and now Betty was crying.go too far/take sth too far in doing something: · We all agree there have to be some controls, but the government has gone too far in ordering all immigration to be stopped.
to do something so much, state something so strongly etc, that people consider your actions unacceptable and unreasonable: · Hunt went to such extremes to get his promotion that everyone at the office hates him now.· You don't have to go to extremes to become healthier - a little exercise and slight changes to your diet can work wonders.
if you do something to excess , you do it so much that it is wrong or harmful: · The government enthusiastically supports US foreign policy, sometimes to excess.· He drank to excess, occasionally causing scenes in front of CIA officials.
something you say or do that is over the top is extreme, so that it is either very funny and entertaining, or very annoying or offensive: · Some of his remarks about women were really over the top.· The show was supposed to be a kind of over-the-top satire - it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.go over the top: · The movie's drawn-out finale goes over the top in its attempt to keep the audience in suspense.
to give someone too much work to do or try to make a system handle too much work: · We can't take money from a school system that is already overloaded.· They overloaded the computer system, and the whole thing just stopped.· Projects should stretch people and make them work hard, but not overload them.
use this humorously when you have eaten too much rich food or drunk too much alcohol: · Schneider told quite a funny story about how he had overindulged one night.· What's the point of a vacation, after all, if not to overindulge yourself?
British informal to talk too much about a subject or repeat a joke or story too often, so that no one is interested in it any more: · It was a good story a month ago, but the newspapers have really flogged it to death.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs He was battered to death. Tragically, she bled to death. He was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. In October 1962 the world seemed on the brink of nuclear war. The company had huge debts and was on the brink of collapse. A brush with death can make you appreciate life more. Six people choked to death on the fumes. baby seals being clubbed to death Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape. His decision to leave the show has delivered a death blow to the series. The loss of Georgia would sound the death knell of Republican hopes. He received a death sentence. Premeditated murder carries (=is punished by)the death sentence. In 1987, the government passed a death sentence on the river by granting permission for the new dam. The peace pact seems to be in its death throes. As the unrest continued, the death toll rose. The official death toll stands at 53. By indulging in casual sex, many teenagers could be signing their own death warrants. Before I did the jump, people would ask if I had a death wish. I nearly froze to death watching that football match. To tell the truth, I was frightened to death (=very frightened). Both men had been hacked to death (=killed using large knives). He was in imminent danger of dying. She had a sense of impending disaster. She had been knifed to death. Mr Wilkins suffered a lingering death. She still mourns the death of her husband. Both the climbers had plunged to their deaths. The baby’s birth was registered this morning. He would prefer not to risk another embarrassing defeat. Some people are prepared to risk imprisonment for what they believe. He was stabbed to death in a fight. They’ll either die from the cold or starve to death (=die from lack of food). The death toll has risen to 83. The parents were not to blame for the tragic death of their son. the untimely death of a popular local man
· We still don't know what caused his death.
· Any delay in calling an ambulance may have resulted in her death.
· Thousands of people are starving to death.
· He was stabbed to death in an attack outside his home.
(=decide someone must die as an official punishment)· Two men were sentenced to death for the killings.
(=be killed as a punishment for something you have done)· The rebels were defeated and their leaders put to death.
(=avoid being killed)· He fell while climbing in the mountains, and only narrowly escaped death.
formal (=die)· He met his death tragically while on holiday in Greece.
(=feel very sad after someone has died)· The entertainment world was last night mourning the actor's death.
adjectives· Her sudden death shocked the world.
· Her family are trying to come to terms with Anna's tragic death.
(=at a young age)· Paul's first marriage ended with the early death of his wife.
formal (=at a young age)· He remained president until his untimely death in 2004.
technical (=earlier than people usually die)· The disease is a significant cause of premature death in the developing world.
(=caused by accident, not deliberately)· The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
(=caused by violence, especially deliberately)· There is a high rate of violent death in America.
(=definitely going to happen)· Many of the prisoners faced certain death.
death + NOUN (=the legal punishment of death)· In the west, most countries have abolished the death penalty.
(=the legal punishment of death)· Because of his young age, the judge decided not to impose the death sentence.
(=the number of people who die each year from something)· The death rate from heart attacks is about 50% higher for smokers.
(=the number of people who die in an accident)· Officials fear the death toll could be as high as 3000.
(=a threat to kill someone deliberately)· The writer had received a number of death threats.
phrases· The cause of death was a bullet in his chest.
(=the official punishment of death for a crime)· There were strong protests against the sentence of death.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He was battered to death. Tragically, she bled to death. (=causing something to end)· When he quit it dealt a mortal blow to the show.
He was bludgeoned to death with a hammer. (=make them very bored)
(=extremely bored)· Rob was bored to tears trailing around the shops.
In October 1962 the world seemed on the brink of nuclear war. The company had huge debts and was on the brink of collapse. A brush with death can make you appreciate life more.· Anyone inside the truck would have been burned to death.
British English spoken (=get a very bad cold) Don’t stand out in the rain. You’ll catch your death.
Don’t stand out in the rain. You’ll catch your death.· The famine caused the death of up to 400,000 people.
· A snake bite was the cause of death.
· If they stayed in the war zone, they faced almost certain death.
· According to his death certificate, he died aged 44.
Six people choked to death on the fumes. baby seals being clubbed to death Two people were crushed to death in the rush to escape.· the cycle of violence between the two countries
His decision to leave the show has delivered a death blow to the series. The loss of Georgia would sound the death knell of Republican hopes. He received a death sentence. Premeditated murder carries (=is punished by)the death sentence. In 1987, the government passed a death sentence on the river by granting permission for the new dam. The peace pact seems to be in its death throes. As the unrest continued, the death toll rose. The official death toll stands at 53. By indulging in casual sex, many teenagers could be signing their own death warrants. Before I did the jump, people would ask if I had a death wish. (=of natural causes, rather than being killed)· The coroner concluded that Wilkins had died a natural death.
· At the end of the play, the main character dies a violent death.
I nearly froze to death watching that football match. (=make someone feel extremely afraid) He drove at a speed which frightened Lara to death.
He drove at a speed which frightened Lara to death. To tell the truth, I was frightened to death (=very frightened). Both men had been hacked to death (=killed using large knives). He was in imminent danger of dying. She had a sense of impending disaster.· The number of infant deaths has fallen significantly.
She had been knifed to death. Mr Wilkins suffered a lingering death. She still mourns the death of her husband. (=the punishment of being killed)· If convicted, they face the death penalty.
Both the climbers had plunged to their deaths.· The death rate among the homeless is three times higher than the rest of the population.
The baby’s birth was registered this morning. He would prefer not to risk another embarrassing defeat. Some people are prepared to risk imprisonment for what they believe. (=extremely scared)· He looked scared to death.
(=a punishment of death)· Death sentences were handed down to eight of the accused.
He was stabbed to death in a fight. They’ll either die from the cold or starve to death (=die from lack of food). (=a threat to kill someone)· Scientists involved in the research have received death threats.
The death toll has risen to 83. The parents were not to blame for the tragic death of their son. (=kill someone by stepping heavily on them) Several people were nearly trampled to death in the rush to get out.
Several people were nearly trampled to death in the rush to get out. the untimely death of a popular local man· No French king died a violent death during this period.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· On 4 December 1985 the inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.· Such reports are routine in the case of accidental death, he said.· The coroner recorded verdicts of accidental death.· A verdict of accidental death was recorded at an inquest last week.· It seemed to be pretty much an open and shut case of accidental death, apart from the problem of identifying him.· Deputy Coroner Mr Pollard recorded verdicts of accidental death and said he was satisfied what had happened had been purely an accident.· Coroner Michael Sheffield recorded a verdict of accidental death.
· If they stayed in the war zone they would face almost certain death.· But if he could not kill them outright, he could put them in the way of tolerably certain death.· Of certain important deaths that were due to occur at two o'clock.· There they learned that they had barely escaped certain death.· The class had seen their friends carried off to a certain death.· Both heroes fought under the shadow of certain death.· The ground loomed and certain death faced them in a matter of seconds.· Would you try to avoid her and drive off to certain death, or would you keep going and kill her?
· At the penalty shoot-out the same dogged evenness was maintained - it went to sudden death.· It is the most intimate item of all, a disturbing look at the rude horror of sudden death.· If our Dean's sudden death was not accidental, it must have been purposeful.· They get sudden economic death, whether jobs exist or not.· Doctors must report any sudden deaths they think may have even a theoretical link to a drug.· During the fieldwork period, sudden infant deaths received enormous publicity in the national media.· Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome were calculated separately for Maori and non-Maori children.
· The royalties go to Birthright; let's hope they find a way to prevent tragic cot deaths.· Today, the Mirror looks back to the first tragic deaths in one of the world's longest and more bitter conflicts.· The news of his tragic death stunned everyone.· Now an inquest is to be held into the tragic woman's death.· And it is leaving behind a tragic toll of death, heartache and despair throughout Britain.· Since his tragic death my daughter has carried on his good work.· Meanwhile parents like Gwen Watkins just want their voice to be heard and a clearer understanding of a tragic chain of deaths.· Let him know that something good has come out of his tragic death.
· A pity the author only got the respect she deserved after her untimely death.· The symbols and memories of untimely death lay all around from morning till night.· The untimely death of his father did nothing to alter the youngest Charlton's ambition.· People created just like you and me, their dreams cut short by a terrible, untimely death.· Tragically, or perhaps fortunately, the hunt was aborted by Gaitskell's untimely death in January 1963.· Students and faculty told fond stories about Daniels and expressed their sorrow at his untimely death.· After his untimely death, she had passed the figure on to Carla as a memento of a wonderful man.· She had died a young, untimely death.
· Nothing, above all, to betray the cosmic anger which invariably surged through his being in the presence of violent death.· They say people who die sudden, violent deaths are most likely to become ghosts and haunt the earth.· Sudden, violent death in the fog.· On March 28, 1980, all the workers died a sudden, violent death, no time to say goodbye.· There violent death is spectacle; one has the sense of killing but not of dying.· This was the Cradle: the country of violent birth and violent death.· Once again he was in the sobering presence of violent death.· Everyone, however, sympathized with junior officials; and everyone constantly wished a violent death on usurers and moneylenders.
NOUN· In the spring of 1945, the four girls were transported to four more death camps, once by death march.
· The coroner issues the death certificate, usually ascribing death to a disease found during the post-mortem examination.· He says, First locate where the person died, get the death certificate, and then find the notary.· Now the declaration of her age on the death certificate was out of her control, the truth was listed at last.· There are no death certificates for these children.· Information for the follow up study was collected by means of personal interviews, death certificates, and records from hospitals and nursing homes.· How can I have a death certificate?· The klebsiella bug was named on Dean's death certificate as a contributing factor.· But no body or death certificate was produced.
· The New Zealand cot death study was a nationwide case-control study carried out from 1 November 1987 to 31 October 1990.· The royalties go to Birthright; let's hope they find a way to prevent tragic cot deaths.· Although the number of cot deaths is now falling, three babies still die unaccountably each day in the United Kingdom.· The results of this study suggest that the incidence of cot death can be reduced.· He says the sun will only shine on him if it rains for at least a month. Cot death mix-up.· The family had a history of cot deaths, and the baby had a heart condition.· The specimens resulted from therapeutic abortions, miscarriages, and cot deaths.
· Bristol is at the forefront of the fight against a number of childhood conditions, including cancer and sudden infant death.· During the fieldwork period, sudden infant deaths received enormous publicity in the national media.· Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome were calculated separately for Maori and non-Maori children.· This, of course, assumes that these variables are causally related to sudden infant death syndrome and are independent.· None of the families interviewed had experienced a sudden infant death.· In total these four risk factors accounted for 89% of Maori and 79% of non-Maori sudden infant deaths.
· If we still had the death penalty they'd be hanged, anyway.· Around the country, there are some signs of eroding support for the death penalty, even among some conservatives.· In these circumstances facile and fallacious deductions about the consequences of having abolished the death penalty were bound to be rife.· However, the measure specifically did not take a position on the morality of the death penalty.· It was expected that President Carlos Saúl Menem would commute any death penalty.· Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Kaczynski, who faces additional charges in a New Jersey bombing death.· It may be more hesitant than the House of Representatives about extending the death penalty, for instance for drug-dealing.· The bishops said the death penalty was not a deterrent to crime, had racist overtones and cost millions of dollars.
· South Tees workplace health spokeswoman Anne Newnam said the charter aimed to reduce the death rates from coronary heart disease.· As in all cities, the infant death rate in Washington fluctuates from year to year.· In poor countries, however, incomes did not rise as death rates began to fall.· Six months after their surgery, patients with no religious beliefs had a death rate three times higher than those who did.· Their high death rate is due to malnutrition, through ecological change, as well as introduced diseases.· This test was used to ensure a 100% death rate of cells frozen in liquid nitrogen.· As death rates have declined the proportion of elderly classed as married has increased while the proportion widowed has decreased.· According to the theory, pre-industrial populations can be characterized by high levels of birth and death rates, and low growth rates.
· Instead he fairly hustled his big body along, as if it were a laggardly prisoner he was escorting down death row.· Despite attempts to curb the number of appeals, death row waits are growing.· He had spent nearly 13 years on death row.· Today, on average, inmates are on death row for 10 years.· He is on death row awaiting execution for a non-political murder.· On death row at San Quentin for ever, the man got a state-of-the-art execution.· It was in this second stage that most death row prisoners have raised repeated challenges.· Only two death row inmates have been put to death since then, and both men chose to call off their appeals.
· Will she insist on a guilty verdict and mandatory death sentence?· There was a time when it was 15 years from the time a death sentence was first issued.· Essential to Trent's possibilities of survival was that Louis should believe him ignorant of the death sentence already passed.· Davis, 42, faces a possible death sentence for the 1993 slaying.· This scaffold gave many years of service but was phased out of use following the last death sentences in 1964.· Davis, who has pleaded not guilty, is facing a possible death sentence.· The ayatollahs' death sentence stands.· On the other hand, it was something akin to a blanket death sentence for the free-flowing rivers in sixteen states.
· Reformists allege that the killings were part of a campaign by state-sponsored death squads to silence dissent.· This old man had already lost two sons-both journalists-to death squads.· Torture has been widely used by both security forces and death squads.· This was the group, formally under army control, that operated as a death squad during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos.
· The risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome within groups were remarkably similar.· Risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome were calculated separately for Maori and non-Maori children.· This, of course, assumes that these variables are causally related to sudden infant death syndrome and are independent.· Discussion Mortality from sudden infant death syndrome varies between countries.· Ethnic differences in mortality from sudden infant death syndrome have been reported from several countries.· Setting - New Zealand. 485 infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome were compared with 1800 control infants.
· He has received death threats after cheating hundreds of innocent people.· Vince Tobin withdrew his candidacy for the job after both men got death threats from Ditka fanatics.· The councillor had already survived one attempt on his life, and had received a stream of death threats.· Ed Pollard of the Secret Service reported a forty-percent increase in death threats.· But they want an end to all death threats against the novelist.· Then came the death threats against Krueger himself, then the ambush of a convoy in which he was traveling.· The judges have received death threats.· J., was scrubbed because the promoter got death threats.
· The official death toll was 42, most of them children; local officials and parents put it even higher.· The death toll exceeded the 1987 Hungerford Massacre, which left 17 dead, including the gunman, Michael Ryan.· Others set the death toll higher, at up to 1,000 fatalities.· The death toll is 2, 276, all by fire or drowning.· Some 20 years earlier the death toll was 773.· The death toll from a single such explosion could easily be over 10 million people.
VERB· Women are told it's prostitution or a beating, or death.· The original police report said the whites chased Atkinson while others waited for him on the tracks and beat him to death.· Recalcitrants were chained, starved and beaten to death.· Why, given what had happened, I might as well have beaten Papa to death with a club.· So she locked them in a coat closet where they beat each other half to death in the dark for twenty minutes.· In the minutes that followed, McDuffie was beaten to death by a group of Dade County police officers.· We don't see gays being beaten to death in our country because of their sexuality.· And when he himself was nearly beaten to death.
· He bled to death in 15 minutes.· In real life, Selena ran out of that motel room with a bullet wound, and bled to death.· He quickly bled to death from the injury.· Not, miraculously, through any major blood vessels, or I would by now have bled internally to death.· Losing a leg to a shell, he quickly bled to death.· Within minutes she had bled to death.· He cut his wrists and bled to death.
· If we had gone on, our love would have brought us the death we secretly called up every time we embraced.· Angry that he is bringing death and the smell of fire into our house.· The spiritual resources of patients can do a great deal to help in their recovery or bring about a peaceful death.· It had brought back the death of her father, of his love without conditions, his moral and spiritual protection.· After accidentally bringing about the death of his wife and child, he sets up his own suicide.· Globalization does bring the death of distance, through the consolidation of markets and the use of modern communications and transportation.· The game of war brings death, and the devil has ensured that this has been a hellishly long game.· With song and rejoicing they brought death in, and destruction.
· His action has already caused the premature death of 700,000 birds with miserly compensation to owners.· These opportunistic diseases may eventually cause death.· Mercifully, it did not cause the death and destruction intended.· A plague of cholera broke out, causing sixty deaths in the first week.· Often this blocks a pulmonary artery, causing serious illness or death.· His arms, those marvelous arms Thetis had brought him from Hephaestus, caused the death of Ajax.· A 31-year-old labourer was yesterday charged with causing the death of Mr Adams by careless driving after drinking excessively.· The cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system, but it is difficult to find.
· Mottram was an original drunken sailor and was condemned to death for stealing a boat.· White told how he had repeatedly tried to escape, been twice captured, twice imprisoned, finally condemned to death.· As befitted his rank he was tried before the House of Lords and, being found guilty, was condemned to death.· Fatally offended, the jury condemned him to death.· His cook was charged and being found guilty was condemned to death.· McVeigh was condemned to death after his conviction on identical charges in June.· Justine has been condemned to death.· This does not condemn interactive multimedia to death, but it does suggest a slower-than-expected scenario for widespread adoption.
· Is it surprising that he should die a natural death from a heart attack?· Did you get to die a horrible death with giant ants gnawing at your body?· True paschal lamb, dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life.· The Saint died a most holy death on May 2, 1459.
· The ghost sensed the emptiness that follows the death of a mind.· Quite often, a son or daughter will be responsible for the formalities and requirements that follow a death.· Extra benefits include cash payments of up to £13,000 for certain permanent injuries and £2,500 left to your estate following accidental death.· There were riots in Belfast and Derry following Sands' death.· A curfew had been imposed, explained Selkirk, because of the situation following the King's death.· It follows the death of a man from gunshot wounds.· By the 1830s, following Webb's death, Peter Playne was the tenant.· However, the issue returned to prominence following the death of a hunger striker on Oct. 14.
· Charsky watched him freeze to death before his eyes.· I wondered if we would make it to our destination without freezing to death during the night.· We decided to abandon fishing and head for home before I froze to death.· Once they grew above the level of the snow, they too would be vulnerable to rapid freezing and death.· The little children are freezing to death.· And no, the baby never froze to death.· Its residents are beginning to wonder if they have been condemned to a slow, freezing death.· One of them froze to death in 1943.
· However, any treatment to relieve pain and suffering may well be justified even if this leads to an earlier death.· Francis, said a side effect of morphine is decreased respiration, which can lead to death.· It leads to death and a scandalous murder inquiry which threatens to expose some dark secrets.· It is the leading cause of death for 40-to 49-year-old women.· The only possible qualification is a case in which the choice may lead to the death of a viable foetus.· This results in excessive contraction of the muscles leading to death.· Clashes between police and opposition protesters in Zanzibar over disputed elections have led to an unconfirmed death toll of 37.· Even in 1987 the brand new ship was suffering smells similar to those which led to the deaths of Katherine and James Tomlins.
· Employees and shareholders have also received death threats and hate mail.· The first nine defendants all received death sentences.· He has received death threats after cheating hundreds of innocent people.· She received graphic, gruesome death threats.· Liliam was again forced into exile in 1961 after she received death threats.· The crime was extremely brutal, as was Ferguson's treatment of his crew, and he received the death sentence.· The councillor had already survived one attempt on his life, and had received a stream of death threats.· I love gigging in the South although, oddly, it's the only place we've ever received death threats.
· The trouble is that when they are they result in deaths.· The hostility and bloodshed associated with the partition resulted in 1 million deaths.· Rosie Johnston was at the centre of the scandal which resulted in Olivia's death six years ago.· Using either product can result in injury and death.· In 1970 a large area of bamboo flowered and died resulting in many deaths through starvation in the panda population.· The disorders continued for seven days, resulting in the death of fifteen whites and twenty-three blacks.· If this concentration is high, then it will result in the death of fish.· Since 1981, there have been 665 crashes at state crossings, resulting in 81 deaths and 205 injuries.
· If he caught him up here again he'd see him off, scare him to death.· But the first time I did it, I was scared half to death.· The first time this had happened to her, she had been scared to death.· They acted as if they knew what would happen if they lost, and they were scared to death of it.· Then I looked up lymphoma in a medical book and almost scared myself to death!· His bungalow had scared her to death.· Then she'd jump out and scare them to death!· You had us scared half to death.
· Her husband was shot to death in 1990.· The meeting took place Wednesday evening, just hours before the younger Cosby was shot to death.· Martin law firm, where he killed eight and wounded six before shooting himself to death.· He faces a count of second-degree murder in the Nov. 10 shooting death of Brad Hansen, also 13.· Another night, one August midnight, an argument outside the record store ended with a man being shot to death.· Cooke was 33 in 1964 when he was shot to death in a Los Angeles motel.· This volunteer was Edgar Derby, the high school teacher who would be shot to death in Dresden.· On weekends, police constantly are being called out to handle everything from fistfights to shooting deaths.
· The two Leeds supporters were believed to have been stabbed to death after an argument with workmen.· The other man to die was Brian Roberson, 36, who stabbed to death an elderly couple in 1986.· Murray Pugh, a trainee P-E teacher, was stabbed to death last weekend.· Half a block away, a woman is raped and stabbed to death behind an abandoned church.· Major's partner in crime was later stabbed to death during another raid.· Student teacher is stabbed to death.· Read in studio A murder suspect has told a court that he accidentally stabbed a teenager to death during a street fight.· Hornlein had previously stabbed a man to death and stolen his money; he and Knau then shot and robbed another man.
· The entire population had starved to death.· Some one like you is likely to lie down in the street and starve to death.· In 1994 a judge ruled that prisoners who were mentally competent were free to starve themselves to death.· Recalcitrants were chained, starved and beaten to death.· It is, of course, less honest than Spencer and denies that anyone will starve to death.· He had not promised to starve himself to death on the steps of the town hall until he got justice.· Some will starve to death, others will die of exposure, still others will be beaten or burned or tortured.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► Death► look/feel like death warmed up► somebody will be the death of mePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► drink yourself silly/into a stupor/to death etc► hold/hang on for/like grim death► a matter of life and/or death
- His skin was so pale, he looked like he was at death's door.
- Don't go out without a coat! You'll catch your death of cold!
- the death of American slavery
- the death of the Soviet Union
- After the death of his father, Ross came to London in 1872 with his family, where they settled.
- After the death of his father, she had persecuted him towards her image of perfection.
- Few events in life are as traumatic as the death of a spouse.
- He had it explained to him, and was told only that the death of Robespierre had brought a considerable change.
- He was taking over the enquiry into the death of Angelica Standish, he said.
- Kapsack said acute cocaine toxicity may have contributed to the death of some of the seven people studied in the report.
- This seemed to us to have been conditioned largely by the death of his father when he was nine years old.
- Two different game scenarios for the death of the boy genius.
- He bled to death after being stabbed repeatedly.
- The baby starved to death.
- Death sentences Three members of the illegal Hezbollah organization were condemned to death on March 1 by a criminal court in Tlemcen.
- And no, the baby never froze to death.
- Exclaiming that he was already a priest, Quirnus insisted that the magistrate put him to death.
- This approach to death was appealing.
- This is grief and hatred and people hacked to death.
- Two of the blacks arrested were reportedly machine-gunned to death by state troopers at the jail.
- We will be slowly strangled to death.
- Will he be caught at last, and put to death?
- That joke has been done to death.
- Death sentences Three members of the illegal Hezbollah organization were condemned to death on March 1 by a criminal court in Tlemcen.
- And no, the baby never froze to death.
- Exclaiming that he was already a priest, Quirnus insisted that the magistrate put him to death.
- This approach to death was appealing.
- This is grief and hatred and people hacked to death.
- Two of the blacks arrested were reportedly machine-gunned to death by state troopers at the jail.
- We will be slowly strangled to death.
- Will he be caught at last, and put to death?
- But I find them particularly disturbing when related to the death of a refugee seeking asylum in Britain.
- Its opponents included liberals who were opposed to the death penalty and conservatives who objected to the gun control provisions.
- Kapsack said acute cocaine toxicity may have contributed to the death of some of the seven people studied in the report.
- No, she fights her to the death, which from the point of view of the species is unhelpful.
- Pepper spray has been linked to the deaths of 39 people in California and 80 people across the country.
- They say we massacred him, but he would have massacred us had we not defended ourselves and fought to the death.
- They simply seem to charge into battle, and would probably to fight to the death unless we separated them.
- While not explicit, many implied that they would indeed fight to the death for their managing director.
- And because he thought he could cheat death.
- Explain how you cheated death at every stage of the journey.
- Our attempts to cheat life have progressed to an attempt to cheat death.
- Some of them are cheating death.
- But no evidence suggests that she courted danger for her children as she encouraged their freedom.
- They court death and we enjoy the spectacle so we reward them for it.
- When young people experiment with drugs, they're dicing with death.
- And some have diced with death to make Bond look good.
- But every day hundreds of ordinary workers dice with death to complete these essential tasks.
- Towing drivers are dicing with death, too.
- I did not have the courage then to die the death that she died.
- I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
- After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
- It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
- There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
- We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
- Subjects began to feel a loss of control of the course of their thinking.
- And if there's not enough advertising to go round, it could be a fight to the death.
- Every couple would live miles apart and fight to the death any intrusion into their home range-which they would never leave.
- If the adventurers pursue the Harpies back to their lair, they will fight to the death to defend it.
- It is economic nonsense to suggest that nations are engaged in a mercantilist fight to the death.
- They say we massacred him, but he would have massacred us had we not defended ourselves and fought to the death.
- They simply seem to charge into battle, and would probably to fight to the death unless we separated them.
- Usually if two gray angels of nearly equal size are placed together a fight to the death ensues.
- While not explicit, many implied that they would indeed fight to the death for their managing director.
- And if there's not enough advertising to go round, it could be a fight to the death.
- By 1807 politics had become a fight to the death between the two factions.
- It will be a fight to the finish.
- Six teams are bitter rivals in what will be a fight to the finish.
- Some say 1972 was a fight to the death, which left Jacklin as the slain gladiator.
- Usually if two gray angels of nearly equal size are placed together a fight to the death ensues.
- It was a good story a month ago, but the newspapers have really flogged it to death.
- The beheading of murderers, the flogging and stoning to death of adulterers, the circumcision of women?
- The shocked priority of examining herself after escaping, literally, from the jaws of death, wore off.
- An "X" rating can be the kiss of death at the box office for a big-budget movie.
- Although it was very tempting, accepting it would be the kiss of death for the concept.
- But its demise was further justification to the movie industry that musicals are the kiss of death.
- That's got to be the kiss of death.
- Why should living together, in particular, be the kiss of death to hopeful marrieds?
- Yet the onset of daylight, with its much better conditions, brought the kiss of death.
- In Catal Huyuk the images of life and death mingle in a way that may strike us as bizarre.
- In some cases this might be literally a matter of life and death.
- Issues of life and death also ride the roller coaster in the same trivialising way.
- Not for reasons of life and death or right and wrong, however.
- Or, more accurately, a game of life and death.
- Pure happenstance and luck had much to do with life and death on both sides.
- The words life and death have no meaning for them.
- These two objects are symbolic of life and death.
- But the hard labour for criminals which replaced judicial execution was so appalling that it was in effect a living death.
- If you have opted for non-action, then you have opted for a living death.
- In anorexia nervosa, which becomes a living death, the same connections are prevalent, together with the same confusing implications.
- Life without hope is a living death.
- If the ropes do jam then please remember that the great Giusto Gervasutti met his death during just such a retrieval operation.
- In that position Buddha met his end.
- Medieval representation of Frederick Barbarossa as a crusader, the role in which he met his death.
- No officer convicted of plotting against him met his end at the hands of the firing squad.
- Strange coincidence, the same place where Whitton had met his death.
- The last band met its end in 1906, in the Chiricahuas.
- When a herring meets its end, it is usually in the mouth of a bigger fish or a in a net.
- With the Giants leading 28-7, half-time came as a merciful relief.
- And Elinor was just going to have to wait for her merciful release.
- Death had been a merciful release for him.
- These were the alternatives to a quick, merciful death.
- Those animals put down had a merciful release.
- A second inquest in February 1987, returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
- A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded.
- At the end of a four-hour hearing, the inquest jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.
- The coroner's jury brought in death by misadventure, on advice by the coroner.
- The coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
- In effect, each is swearing to keep it on pain of death.
- And they stoned her to death.
- TheJewish council stoned Stephen to death after he denounced them.
- They might approve of, and practice, ostracizing homosexuals from society, but stoning them to death?
WORD FAMILYnoundeaddeathdeadlinessadjectivedeaddeadlydeathlyadverbdeadlydeathlyverbdeaden
1 a)[uncountable] the end of the life of a person or animaldeath of The death of his mother came as a tremendous shock. Cancer is the leading cause of death in women. How Danielle met her death (=died) will probably never be known. His friend was close to death. His family are still mourning John’s tragic death. the anniversary of Lenin’s deathbleed/burn/starve etc to death a homeless man who froze to deathbeat/stab/shoot etc somebody to death The 76-year-old pensioner was beaten to death.put/sentence/condemn somebody to death (=kill someone or decide they should be killed as an official punishment) Legend has it that Sarah was put to death for practising witchcraft. Members of the family have received death threats. He remained president until his untimely death (=death at a surprisingly young age). Two of the passengers managed to escape death (=avoid being killed). b)[countable] a particular case when someone dies OPP birth: a campaign to reduce the number of traffic deathsdeath from deaths from cancer I heard there’d been a death in the family.2 the death of something the permanent end of something OPP birth: The latest bombing is the death of all our hopes. These regulations could spell the death (=lead to the end) of the American car industry.3to death informal a)used to emphasize that a feeling or emotion is very strongbe bored/scared/frightened etc to death She was scared to death of what might happen next. I’m absolutely sick to death of it (=very angry, bored, or unhappy about something).bore/scare/love etc somebody to death He drove at a speed which frightened Leonora to death. She used to worry me to death. b)used to say that an action is continued with a lot of effort and for as long as possible: They just work you to death in that place.4do something to death informal to perform or present an idea, joke etc so often that people become tired of it: Most of his material has been done to death by numerous comedians.5to the death a)until someone is dead: They will fight to the death rather than give an inch of ground. soldiers locked in a struggle to the death b)until you achieve something even if it means that you suffer: The leadership election has become a fight to the death.6Death a creature that looks like a human skeleton, used in paintings, stories etc to represent the fact that people die7be at death’s door to be very ill and likely to die8look/feel like death warmed up British English, look/feel like death warmed over American English informal to look or feel very ill or tired9you’ll catch your death (of cold) spoken old-fashioned used to warn someone that they are likely to become ill because they are wet or cold10somebody will be the death of me spoken old-fashioned used to say that someone is causing you a lot of worry and problems: That boy will be the death of me! → Black Death, → kiss of death at kiss2(3), → life and death at life(10)COLLOCATIONSverbscause death· We still don't know what caused his death.lead to/result in death· Any delay in calling an ambulance may have resulted in her death.bleed/freeze/burn/starve to death· Thousands of people are starving to death.stab/beat/kick somebody to death· He was stabbed to death in an attack outside his home.sentence/condemn somebody to death (=decide someone must die as an official punishment)· Two men were sentenced to death for the killings.be put to death (=be killed as a punishment for something you have done)· The rebels were defeated and their leaders put to death.escape death (=avoid being killed)· He fell while climbing in the mountains, and only narrowly escaped death.meet your death formal (=die)· He met his death tragically while on holiday in Greece.mourn somebody's death (=feel very sad after someone has died)· The entertainment world was last night mourning the actor's death.adjectivessudden death· Her sudden death shocked the world.tragic death· Her family are trying to come to terms with Anna's tragic death.early death (=at a young age)· Paul's first marriage ended with the early death of his wife.untimely death formal (=at a young age)· He remained president until his untimely death in 2004.premature death technical (=earlier than people usually die)· The disease is a significant cause of premature death in the developing world.accidental death (=caused by accident, not deliberately)· The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.violent death (=caused by violence, especially deliberately)· There is a high rate of violent death in America.certain death (=definitely going to happen)· Many of the prisoners faced certain death.death + NOUNthe death penalty (=the legal punishment of death)· In the west, most countries have abolished the death penalty.the death sentence (=the legal punishment of death)· Because of his young age, the judge decided not to impose the death sentence.the death rate (=the number of people who die each year from something)· The death rate from heart attacks is about 50% higher for smokers.the death toll (=the number of people who die in an accident)· Officials fear the death toll could be as high as 3000.a death threat (=a threat to kill someone deliberately)· The writer had received a number of death threats.phrasesthe cause of death· The cause of death was a bullet in his chest.a sentence of death (=the official punishment of death for a crime)· There were strong protests against the sentence of death.