(a) Of persons, animals, bodies, parts of bodies: dead, no longer alive; also fig.; ben ~, to be dead; (b) of trees, flowers, etc.: dead.

(a) Spiritually dead, lost in sin; (b) indifferent (to sth.), dead (to pleasure, the world); -- with as to, fro, to, unto; (c) of reason, honor, sorrow, a vice, etc.: departed, gone, lost; ~ fro, gone from (sb.).

In verb phrases: (a) ben ~, worthen ~, to die; ben ~ under (of) his hond(es, die by his hand, be killed by him; (b) (ne) ben but ~, to be as good as dead; (c) demen for ~, to suppose (sb.) to be dying; fallen (doun) ~, fall (down) dead; fallen as (for) ~, faint, swoon; fellen (leien, striken) ~, fell (lay, strike) dead, kill (sb.); haven (maken) ~, kill (sb.); leven for (as for) ~, leave (sb.) for dead; lien ~, lie dead; sen ~, see (sb.) dead, allow (sb.) to be killed.

Idioms with ben: (for)to ben ~: (a) at the risk of dying, risking one's life; (b) to save my life; (c) until death.

In phrases: (a) quik and ~, living and dead; quik or ~, alive or dead; etc.; (b) ~ as (a) dore nail, ~ as a dore tre, ~ as (a, ani, the) ston, dead as a doornail (doorpost, stone), stone-dead; of faith, legislation, etc.: useless, futile.

In cpds. & combs.: ~ man, one who has died; a corpse; a ghost [quot.: a1420]; ~ man cors, a dead body; see also half ~, stark ~, ston ~.

(a) Colorless, lifeless in appearance, dead-looking; of plants: faded, withered; (b) of voice, speech: dull, lifeless.

(a) Inanimate; ~ catel (goodes, stor), movable property other than animals; quik and ~, animate and inanimate; (b) of clay, sulphur, etc.: inert; esp., made inactive (or less active) by roasting or other treatment; (c) not burning, extinguished; ~ cole; (d) stagnant; also, deadly, inimical to living things; ~ lak, a stagnant lake, ?a dried up lake bed; ~ pol (se), a stagnant pool (sea), a body of water with no outlet; the ~ se, the Dead Sea; (e) without feeling, insensible, unconscious; ~ flesh, insensitive flesh; ~ slep, deep sleep, sound sleep; ~ swoun, complete unconsciousness, a dead faint; (f) ~ lether, ?leather from skins of animals which have died of disease, etc., instead of being slaughtered.

(a) Useless, futile, unavailing; ~ werkes, sins [1st quot.]; (b) barren, unproductive; inert; ~ lond, ~ moneth.

Deadly, mortal; ~ hate, deadly hatred; ~ wound, a mortal wound; also fig.

Private, secret; maken ~, to keep (sth.) secret.

In plant names: ~ netle, some member of the genus Lamium (prob., L. album) or a similar plant; ~ tong, ?the European dittany (Origanum dictamnus).

(a) In place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.128]; (b) ~ lane, ?a lane closed at one end, a blind lane [see Riley Mem.Lond. 97].

Law (a) Of ownership, an owner: impersonal, corporate; esp., ecclesiastical; ~ hond(es [cp. ML manus mortua & OF mortemain], mortmain; comen into ~ hond, to come into the possession of an impersonal owner; (b) of property pledged for a debt: dead to the owner, useless; ~ wed [cp. ML vadium mortuum], a dead pledge, property from which the mortgagor receives no profit.

Med. & surg. (a) Gangrenous, mortified; malignant; ~ appel, a mormal; ~ festre, a gangrenous fistula; ~ flesh, mortified flesh; also fig.; ~ spring, a malignant ulcer; quik and ~, sound and gangrenous; (b) ~ birth, ~ child, a dead fetus; also, the act or process of abortion; ~ born, still-born; (c) of a sore, disease, etc.: inactive, arrested, cured.

Naut. ~ man(es)eie, a deadeye.