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be the death of

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Death
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death   (děth)   
n.  

  1. The act of dying; termination of life.

  2. The state of being dead.

  3. The cause of dying: Drugs were the death of him.

  4. A manner of dying: a heroine's death.

  5. often Death A personification of the destroyer of life, usually represented as a skeleton holding a scythe.

    1. Bloodshed; murder.

    2. Execution.

  7. Law Civil death.

  8. The termination or extinction of something: the death of imperialism.


[Middle English deeth, from Old English dēath; see dheu-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Death
100s of Death Top Brands at Low Prices
www.Gifts.com
Free Public Death Records
Each Death Record Contain: Death's Time / Location / Cause & More..!
DeathsRecords.com
Idioms & Phrases

be the death of

Cause the death of something or someone, as in This comedian is so funny, he'll be the death of me. Although this phrase can be used literally, meaning "to kill someone or something," it has also been used hyperbolically (as in the example) since the late 1500s. Shakespeare used it in 1 Henry IV (2:1): "Since the price of oats rose, it was the death of him."

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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