Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

moribund

 - 5 dictionary results

mor⋅i⋅bund

  [mawr-uh-buhnd, mor-]
Use moribund in a Sentence
–adjective
1. in a dying state; near death.
2. on the verge of extinction or termination.
3. not progressing or advancing; stagnant: a moribund political party.
Origin:
1715–25; < L moribundus dying, equiv. to mori- (s. of morī to die) + -bundus adj. suffix

Related forms:
mor⋅i⋅bun⋅di⋅ty, noun
mor⋅i⋅bund⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To moribund
mor·i·bund   (môr'ə-bŭnd', mŏr'-)   
adj.  

  1. Approaching death; about to die.

  2. On the verge of becoming obsolete: moribund customs; a moribund way of life.


[Latin moribundus, from morī, to die; see mer- in Indo-European roots.]
mor'i·bun'di·ty (-bŭn'dĭ-tē) n., mor'i·bund'ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

moribund 
1721, "about to die," from Fr. moribund (16c.), from L. moribundus "dying," from mori "to die" (see mortal). Fig. sense of "near an end" is from 1837.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: mor·i·bund
Pronunciation: 'mor-&-(")b&nd, 'mär-
Function: adjective
: being in the state of dying : approaching death moribund patient deepening stupor and coma are the usual preludes to death —Norman Cameron>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

moribund mor·i·bund (môr'ə-bŭnd')
n.
At the point of death; dying.

mor'i·bun'di·ty (-bŭn'dĭ-tē) n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see moribund on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way