die-off
noun
a sudden, natural perishing of large numbers of a species, population, or community.
die-off
American
[dahy-awf, -of]
/ ˈdaɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /
noun
die-off
Scientific
/ dī′ôf′ /
die off
Idioms
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:
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
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
But the whelk is a cold-water species, and a marine heatwave in 2022 triggered a mass die-off of these snails in the Thames Estuary.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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
If family farms die off and get “gobbled up” by giant corporations, consumer choices are reduced, Ross said.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
Researchers say this marks the first confirmed wildlife die off from the virus on the continent.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 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
True, the conquistadors did not want the Indians to die off en masse.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
