death rattle

American  

noun

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

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death rattle British  

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

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Etymology

Origin of death rattle

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

"This is the death rattle of a movement that just cannot adapt to a changing world and to a community that is saying, 'We're not hiding in the shadows anymore.'"

From Reuters • Jul. 6, 2023

Our basement apartment had orange and yellow walls and a single window-mounted air-conditioner with a permanent death rattle.

From New York Times • May 7, 2021

DVRs have since become commonplace, and the death rattle has only grown louder as the traditional television market has been disrupted several times over by the internet, streaming services and cord-cutters.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2019

“I think we will still see some shock and horror this year, which some say will be the death rattle of this outfit,” said a former western intelligence official.

From The Guardian • Feb. 9, 2018

She will not have abandoned us, she would never leave her people, he was telling himself, when he heard the prince’s death rattle coming from the queen’s apartments.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin