life-and-death

[ lahyf-uhn-deth ]
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adjective
  1. ending with the death or possible death of one of the participants; crucially important: The cobra was engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the mongoose.

Origin of life-and-death

1
First recorded in 1680–90

Words Nearby life-and-death

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How to use life-and-death in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with life-and-death

life-and-death

see matter of life and death.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.