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

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

All depart to the music of a dead march.

From Tolstoy on Shakespeare A Critical Essay on Shakespeare by Chertkov, V. G. (Vladimir Grigorevich)

This morning at 8 A. M. we buried the remains of Mr. Gordon, the coffin borne on a caisson followed by martial band of 48th Infantry playing the dead march.

From An Artilleryman's Diary by Jones, Jenkins Lloyd