die-off

[ dahy-awf, -of ]

/ ˈdaɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

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noun

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

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Origin of die-off

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

Words nearby die-off

Diels-Alder reaction, Dien Bien Phu, diencephalon, diene, Dientamoeba fragilis, die-off, die out, Dieppe, dieresis, dieretic, Dies

How to use die-off in a sentence

Yves Albarello, MP of Seine-et-Marne, said the gunmen told police they were ready to “die as martyrs.”
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Asserting our right to free speech is the only to ensure that 12 people did not die in vain.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Our Duty Is to Keep Charlie Hebdo Alive|Ayaan Hirsi Ali|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
"A camp-fire would hardly flash and die out like that, Sarge," he answered thoughtfully.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
But men, through neglecting the rules of health, pass quickly to old age, and die before reaching that term.
The Mediaeval Mind (Volume II of II)|Henry Osborn Taylor
I cannot believe that God would think it necessary to come on earth as a man, and die on the Cross.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
With three or four more wounds, and the words with which he aided her to die, he finished with her.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

Scientific definitions for die-off

die-off

[ 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.

Other Idioms and Phrases with die-off

die off

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