die

die

die¹ [dī]

vi.

died, dying [ME dien < ON deyja < IE base * dheu-, to pass away, become senseless > OS doian, to die, OE dead, OHG tot, dead]

1. to stop living; become dead

2. to suffer the agony of death or an agony regarded as like it

3.

a) to cease existing; end

b) to stop functioning

4. to lose force or activity; become weak, faint, unimportant, etc.

5. to fade or wither away

6. to become alien or indifferent (to), as if dead

7. to pine away, as with desire

8. Informal to wish with extreme intensity; yearn [she's dying to learn the secret]

9. Theol. to suffer spiritual death

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die away

to become weaker and cease gradually: also die down

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die back

to wither to the roots or woody part: also die down

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die hard

to cling to life, a cause, etc.; resist to the last

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die off

to die one by one until all are gone

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die out

to go out of existence

SYN.- DIE¹ is the basic, simple, direct word meaning to stop living or to become dead; DECEASE, EXPIRE, and pass away (see PASS², vi. 7) are all euphemisms, DECEASE being also the legal term, EXPIRE meaning literally to breathe one's last breath, and pass away suggesting a coming to an end; PERISH implies death by a violent means or under difficult circumstances

die² [dī]

n.

pl. for DIE² 1 & 2, dice; for DIE² 3 & 4, dies [dīs] [dīz] [ME de (pl. dis) < OFr de < VL * datum, orig. neut of L datus: see DATE¹]

1. a small, marked cube used in games of chance: see also DICE

2. any small cube resembling this

3. Archit. a dado of a pedestal

4. Mech. any of various tools or devices, originally cubical in form, for molding, stamping, cutting, or shaping; specif.,

a) a piece of engraved metal used for stamping money, medals, etc.

b) the stationary part of a machine for shaping or punching holes in sheet metal, etc.; matrix: distinguished from PUNCH¹

c) the punch and matrix as a unit

d) a tool used for cutting threads, as of screws or bolts

e) a piece of metal with a hole through it, used in drawing wire, extruding rods, etc.

vt.

died, dieing

to mold, stamp, cut, or shape with a die

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the die is cast

[transl. of L jacta est alea, ascribed to Caesar at the Rubicon] the irrevocable decision has been made