die-off

[dahy-awf, -of]

noun

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

Origin of die-off

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

die-off in Science

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.