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die-off

die-off

noun

a sudden, natural perishing of large numbers of a species, population, or community.
die off

die off

Perish one by one, as in A celibate community, the Shakers are dying off. [Late 1600s]

Synonyms

die-off

American

[dahy-awf, -of] / ˈdaɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

a sudden, natural perishing of large numbers of a species, population, or community.

die-off Scientific

/ dī′ôf′ /

A sudden, severe decline in a population or community of organisms as a result of natural causes. Local die-offs can be caused by such factors as an unusual or extreme weather pattern, an outbreak of disease, or toxic algal blooms in a body of water. Widespread or global die-offs in which a species or group of species becomes extinct are generally associated with rapid climate change or other large-scale environmental dislocations.

die off Idioms

Perish one by one, as in A celibate community, the Shakers are dying off. [Late 1600s]

Etymology

Origin of die-off

First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase die off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

die-off die off

The equine flu did not trigger a mass die-off: The number of horses on U.S. farms rose 4% in 1872-73.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

In 2015, the antelope suffered a mass die-off and it was feared that the Ice Age survivors would become extinct.

From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026

Earlier this year, scientists warned that bird flu had sparked the worst die-off on record for southern elephant seals when it spread among a population on Argentina's coast in 2023.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025

The team also showed that decayed elephant carcasses were more spread out across the landscape than fresh carcasses, indicating that the die-off in 2020 was different from typical elephant mortality patterns.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 29, 2024

Even a year after treatment, a spring die-off of songbirds occurred and much good nesting territory lay silent and unoccupied.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Species develop a new specialty, exploit that niche, grow rapidly, die off slowly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The condition develops when specialized brain cells that produce dopamine gradually die off.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026

If family farms die off and get “gobbled up” by giant corporations, consumer choices are reduced, Ross said.

From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026

"Road salt is a major environmental problem," she told AFP, adding that "trees die off after prolonged exposure".

From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026

We let the conversation die off and pedaled our bikes back to the house in silence.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023