die

¹ American  

[dahy] / daɪ /

verb (used without object)

died, dying

1. to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.

   Synonyms:

   depart , expire

2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist.

   The laughter died on his lips.

3. to lose force, strength, or active qualities.

   Superstitions die slowly.

4. to cease to function; stop.

   The motor died.

5. to be no longer subject; become indifferent.

   to die to worldly matters.

6. to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually followed by away, out, ordown ).

   The storm slowly died down.

7. Theology.  to lose spiritual life.

8. to faint or languish.

9. to suffer as if fatally.

   I'm dying of boredom!

10. to pine with desire, love, longing, etc..

    I'm dying to see my home again.

11. to desire or want keenly or greatly.

    I'm dying for a cup of coffee.

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verb phrase

1. die off  to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced.

   Her friends are dying off.

2. die out

   1. to cease to exist; become extinct.

      Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.

   2. to die away; fade; subside.

      The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.

3. die down  to become calm or quiet; subside.

4. die away  (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease.

   The hoofbeats gradually died away.

idioms

1. to die for,  stunning; remarkable.

   That dress is to die for.

2. die standing up,  (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.

3. die hard,

   1. to die only after a bitter struggle.

   2. to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty.

      Childhood beliefs die hard.

4. never say die,  never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.

die ² American  

[dahy] / daɪ /

noun

PLURAL

dies, dice

1. Machinery.

   1. any of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or a stamping or forging machine.

   2. a hollow device of steel, often composed of several pieces to be fitted into a stock, for cutting the threads of bolts or the like.

   3. one of the separate pieces of such a device.

   4. a steel block or plate with small conical holes through which wire, plastic rods, etc., are drawn.

2. an engraved stamp for impressing a design upon some softer material, as in coining money.

3. singular of dice.

4. Architecture.  dado.

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verb (used with object)

died, dieing

1. to impress, shape, or cut with a die.

idioms

1. the die is cast,  the irrevocable decision has been made; fate has taken charge.

   The die is cast—I can't turn back.

die ¹ British  

/ daɪ /

verb

1. (of an organism or its cells, organs, etc) to cease all biological activity permanently

   she died of pneumonia

2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist; come to an end

   the memory of her will never die

3. to lose strength, power, or energy, esp by degrees

4. to become calm or quiet; subside

   the noise slowly died down

5. to stop functioning

   the engine died

6. to languish or pine, as with love, longing, etc

7. informal  (usually foll by of) to be nearly overcome (with laughter, boredom, etc)

8. theol to lack spiritual life within the soul, thus separating it from God and leading to eternal punishment

9. (tr) to undergo or suffer (a death of a specified kind) (esp in phrases such as die a saintly death )

10. (foll by to) to become indifferent or apathetic (to)

    to die to the world

11. informal  never give up

12. to cease to exist after resistance or a struggle

    old habits die hard

13. to die while still working or active, prior to retirement

14. to be eager or desperate (for something or to do something)

    I'm dying to see the new house

15. informal  highly desirable

    a salary to die for

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die ² British  

/ daɪ /

noun

1. 1. a shaped block of metal or other hard material used to cut or form metal in a drop forge, press, or similar device

   2. a tool of metal, silicon carbide, or other hard material with a conical hole through which wires, rods, or tubes are drawn to reduce their diameter

2. an internally-threaded tool for cutting external threads Compare tap 2

3. a casting mould giving accurate dimensions and a good surface to the object cast See also die-cast

4. architect the dado of a pedestal, usually cubic

5. another name for dice

6. perfectly honest

7. the decision that commits a person irrevocably to an action has been taken

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die More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing die

• curl up (and die)
• do or die
• it's to die
• never say die

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Usage

What is a basic definition of die? Die is a verb that means to stop living, to stop existing, or to stop functioning. Die has several other senses as a verb and a noun.When somebody dies, they are no longer alive. They have become dead. All living things will eventually die. Someone can die from disease, violence, or anything else that causes their vital organs (heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs) to stop working.

• Real-life examples: Everyone who is dead has died. Plants die when they don’t get enough sunlight and water. Animals die from many of the same things as humans. Antibiotics are designed to cause disease-causing bacteria to die.
• Used in a sentence: I forgot to water my sunflower, so it died. 

For nonliving things, the word die means to stop existing. If your hope dies, for example, you don’t have hope anymore. It’s gone.

• Used in a sentence: My dreams of being a rock star will never die. 

For machinery or electronics, to die means to stop working or functioning. Often, this sense is used to refer to batteries or an engine dying, that is losing their power. It can also be used to describe something that is broken beyond repair.

• Used in a sentence: I managed to upload all of my files before my laptop died. 

Die is also used in several different idioms that have nothing to do with death. For example, the idiom to die for means to want something a lot. To die laughing means to be very amused.

Related Words

Die, pass away ( pass on; pass ), perish mean to relinquish life. To die is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. Pass away (or pass on or pass ) is a commonly used euphemism implying a continuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away ( passed on or passed ). Perish, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, perish connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.

Etymology

Origin of die¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English dien, deien, from Old Norse deyja; dead, death

Origin of die²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English de (in early Modern English taking the vowel of the plural form dice ), from Old French de(i), presumably from Latin datum “given” (neuter past participle of dare “to give”), perhaps in the derivative sense “put, placed,” hence “played, cast”

Example Sentences

At least 12 people have died and around 50 are still missing after a landslide struck two boats docked at a river port in Peru's Amazon rainforest region, local media reports.

From BBC

A teenager who died after being hit by a car on a motorway had got out of an ambulance shortly before the crash, police say.

From BBC

Mr Shabir, 45, who had been due to go on trial with them, died of a heart attack while on remand.

From BBC

Left-wing Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane has died in detention, five weeks after he was arrested, his lawyers and party have announced.

From BBC

At least 151 people died and many of the complex’s 4,600 residents, including seniors who had lived there for decades, lost their homes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• deteriorate
• disappear
• end
• expire
• fail
• fall
• pass
• stop
• vanish