dead march

American  

noun

1. a piece of solemn music for a funeral procession, especially one played at a military funeral.

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dead march British  

noun

1. a piece of solemn funeral music played to accompany a procession, esp at military funerals

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Etymology

Origin of dead march

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dead march

There he was draped with black crepe and, while the crowd stood silent and a band began a dead march, the gelding walked slowly around the full circuit of the track.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a dead march nothing like it had ever been attempted before.

From Time Magazine Archive

For three and a half hours no character walks faster than a dead march or speaks faster than five words a minute.

From Time Magazine Archive

But there was no quickening step as the house was neared—it was a dead march.

From An Arkansas Planter by Read, Opie Percival

After this the procession will begin, the troops marching by platoons in inverted order and with arms reversed to the place of interment, the drums muffled and the music playing a dead march.

From A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Section 1 (of 3) of Volume 10. by Richardson, James D. (James Daniel)