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Webster 1913 Edition


Corpse

Corpse

(kôrps)
,
Noun.
[OF.
cors
(sometimes written
corps
), F.
corps
, L.
corpus
; akin to AS.
hrif
womb. See
Midriff
, and cf.
Corse
,
Corselet
,
Corps
,
Cuerpo
.]
1.
A human body in general, whether living or dead; – sometimes contemptuously.
[Obs.]
☞ Formerly written (after the French form) corps. See
Corps
,
Noun.
, 1.
2.
The dead body of a human being; – used also Fig.
He touched the dead
corpse
of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet.
D. Webster.
Corpse candle
.
(a)
A thick candle formerly used at a lich wake, or the customary watching with a corpse on the night before its interment.
(b)
A luminous appearance, resembling the flame of a candle, sometimes seen in churchyards and other damp places, superstitiously regarded as portending death.
Corpse gate
,
the gate of a burial place through which the dead are carried, often having a covered porch; – called also
lich gate
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Corpse

CORPSE

,
Noun.
[L., a body.] The dead body of a human being.

Definition 2024


corpse

corpse

English

Alternative forms

Noun

corpse (plural corpses)

  1. A dead body.
  2. (archaic, sometimes derogatory) A human body in general, whether living or dead.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

corpse (third-person singular simple present corpses, present participle corpsing, simple past and past participle corpsed)

  1. (intransitive, slang, of an actor) To lose control during a performance and laugh uncontrollably.
    • 1993, John Banville, Ghosts
      There were still moments when she would halt suddenly, like an actor stranded in the middle of the stage, lines forgotten, staring goggle-eyed and making fish-mouths...Corpsing: that was the word.

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