corpse

American  

[kawrps] / kɔrps /

noun

1. a dead body, usually of a human being.

   Synonyms:

   cadaver

2. something no longer useful or viable.

   rusting corpses of old cars.

3. Obsolete. a human or animal body, whether alive or dead.

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corpse British  

/ kɔːps /

noun

1. a dead body, esp of a human being; cadaver

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verb

1. slang theatre to laugh or cause to laugh involuntarily or inopportunely while on stage

Related Words

See body.

Etymology

Origin of corpse

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English corps; originally spelling variant of cors ( corse ) but the p is now sounded

Example Sentences

These exercises, including games of exquisite corpse, released something fantastical in Lam.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nietzsche said God is dead, but skimped on details of how we’d deal with the corpse.

From The Wall Street Journal

Israeli forces had to find and extract his corpse.

From The Wall Street Journal

She recalled, “Harvey was looking for someone at the bureau to play a body,” while preparing to give a slide presentation on best practices for photographing a corpse.

From The Wall Street Journal

One literally eye-opening scene features a corpse’s eyelids being sewn to stay up so that she can be made up, propped up, and seated in a family photograph with her siblings and parents.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• body
• cadaver
• carcass
• remains