rigor mortis
/ˈmɔːtɪs
/noun [mass noun] Medicine
Stiffening of the joints and muscles of a body a few hours after death, usually lasting from one to four days.After death, bodies are rubbed and anointed to remove rigor mortis....
- When they brought the bodies up, rigor mortis had set in on one women's body so strongly that they couldn't separate the mother from her child.
- He tries to slide the ring off his mother's finger, but rigor mortis has set in.
Origin
Mid 19th century: from Latin, literally 'stiffness of death'.
Rhymes
- Aegean Sea
- aeger
- aegilops
- Aeginetan
- Aeginetan marbles
- Aeginetan school
- Aeginetan sculptures
- high and mighty
- high-angle
- high Arctic
- high art
- highball
- highball glass
- high-band
- high beam
- high bicycle
- high bidder
- highbinder
- highblocked
- high-blooded
- high blower
- high-blowing
- high-blown
- high board
- high-born