Loss of life; dying, death as an event; ~ of the bodi, ~ of lif; dout (dred) of ~, fear of dying; paien the dette of ~, to die as man must die; dethes cares, throes of death.

lif and (or) ~, life and (or) death, fate; lives and (or) dedes, living and (or) dead; lives or (ne) dethes, for lif or (ne) ~, under all (no) circumstances, in every (no) way, by all means, dead or alive.

In verb phrases: (a) dreien (drehen, drien) ~, suffren ~, tholen ~, throuen ~, to suffer death, die a martyr's death, be put to death, die; (b) a)fongen ~, cacchen ~, haven ~, nimen ~, taken ~, underfon ~, to receive or suffer death, be put to death, die a martyr's death, die; (c) dien ~, dien of (on, with) ~, to die (a certain) death, die (in a certain manner); (d) escheuen ~, flen ~, forsaken ~, to avoid or escape death; (e) lenen ~, yeven ~, to inflict death; dighten ~, bring about (someone's) death; (f) abiden ~, to await death; acquiten ~, relieve (sb.) of the death penalty; avengen ~, bien ~, delen ~, avenge (someone's) death, exact retribution for death; dreden ~, fear death; felen ~, feel the pangs of death; sweren ~, vow to slay (sb.); wilnen ~, wish for death.

Hunt. blouen the ~, to sound the horn at the death of the deer.

In prep. phrases: (a) ben at (on) ~, to be at the point of death, be dying; (b) bringen (dighten, don, idon, putten, withsetten) to ~, to condemn or put (sb.) to death, kill; (c) aquellen (murtheren) to ~, to kill (sb.); dampnen (demen, fordemen) to ~, condemn (sb.) to death; smiten to ~, beat (sb.) to death; dingen to ~, stonen to ~, riden to ~, wounden to ~, etc.; (d) in point of ~, about to die, in mortal danger; (e) up(on peine of ~, on pain of death; (f) bi godes ~, by the death of Christ!; (g) til-to (to) the ~, mortally (afraid, wounded, etc.); (h) haten to ~, to hate (sb.) mortally; (i) riden the storm to ~, to ride out the storm.

to (the) ~ ward, toward death; to (unto) his ~ ward, toward his death.

Death personified; dethes hond.

(a) The cause or source of death; also fig.; (b) ministre of deth, executioner.

A death-dealing epidemic, the plague; the foule deth, first deth, the Black Death [of 1348-9 in England].

Theol. (a) The state of being mortal or transient, mortality; (b) perdition of sinful souls, damnation to eternal suffering in hell; endeles (eche) ~; saule ~; ~ of helle; dethes mete, stuff for perdition; (c) the state of being without life; lifelessness, death; dethes dimnesse, ~ slep; a)risen of ~, to rise from death; areren, raisen of (fro) ~, raise from death.

Misc. uses: (a) physiol. mortification (of an organ or limb); (b) alch. slaying (of mercury), transformation to a discolored substance; (c) extinction or destruction (of virtue, fame, etc.); (d) agony.

Cpds. & combs.: (a) ~bed [cp. OE dēaþ-bed a grave]; in (on) ~bed, on (one's) deathbed, when (one) is dying or about to die; ben in ~ bed, lien on (in) ~ bed, to be about to die; dighten ~ bed, put (sb.) to death; (b) dethes bale, death; ~ bering [OE dēaþ-berende], lethal; ~ beting, beating to death; ~ bitte, mortal bite; (c) ~ dai [OE dēaþ-dæg], the time or day of (one's) death; -- also pl.; (d) ~ deiinge [cp. deien (a certain) deth], the process or event of dying; deth(es dint, deathblow, lethal blow; dethes drinche, ~ draught, lethal draught; -- used fig.; (e) ~ fal, dying, death; dethes harm, lethal injury; deth(es ivel, fatal illness, death; ~ pine, agony of death; ~ pitte, hell; ~ rentes, deadly payments; (f) shames deth, shameful death; ~ sith, time of death, death; ~ stounde, hour of death; ~ stour, death struggle, throes of death; dethes strenge, death throes, power of death; dethes strif, death struggle; ~ strok, sting of death; ~ swete, dethes swot, sweat of death; ~ swoue, ~ swoun, swoon of death, dying; (g) ~ throue(s, throes of death, death agony; ~ time, hour of death, death; dethes timpe, death's drum or summons; (h) deth(es wounde, lethal wound or injury; ~ wounded, wounded to death; dethes wo, throes of death; ~ wreke, dedes wrech, lethal vengeance, death penalty.