dead march

American  

noun

1. a piece of solemn music for a funeral procession, especially one played at a military funeral.

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dead march British  

noun

1. a piece of solemn funeral music played to accompany a procession, esp at military funerals

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Etymology

Origin of dead march

First recorded in 1595–1605

Example Sentences

There he was draped with black crepe and, while the crowd stood silent and a band began a dead march, the gelding walked slowly around the full circuit of the track.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a dead march nothing like it had ever been attempted before.

From Time Magazine Archive

For three and a half hours no character walks faster than a dead march or speaks faster than five words a minute.

From Time Magazine Archive

Each man held his gun up-side down, as a sign that the dead would war no more, and the drums beat the dead march.

From The Life of George Washington in Words of One Syllable by Pollard, Josephine

Hamlet," Fortinbras says: "Go bid the soldiers shoot," and the stage direction runs: "A dead march.

From A Book of the Play Studies and Illustrations of Histrionic Story, Life, and Character by Cook, Dutton