death rattle

noun

1. a sound produced by a person immediately preceding death, resulting from the passage of air through the mucus in the throat.

death rattle

noun

1. a low-pitched gurgling sound sometimes made by a dying person, caused by air passing through an accumulation of mucus in the trachea

Word History and Origins

Origin of death rattle¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Proof of musical life: There’s no banjo in sight, but Martin shows off his song-and-dance chops in Season 3’s “Death Rattle” musical by performing the tongue-twisting ditty “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It.”

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The latest season of the murder mystery comedy series gave Short’s character, Oliver Putnam, a chance to turn his murder mystery stage play into an outrageous Broadway musical called “Death Rattle Dazzle!”

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Even from a few miles away, the death rattle of another Ukrainian city echoed through the mist and fog.

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The death rattle from there was gradual.

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Few productions have been as cataclysmic as Oliver Putnam’s “Death Rattle Dazzle,” a misbegotten gothic about murderous infants, re-conceived as a glittery musical.

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