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View synonyms for die-off
die-off
[ dahy-awf, -of ]
noun
- a sudden, natural perishing of large numbers of a species, population, or community.
die-off
/ dī′ôf′ /
- A sudden, severe decline in a population or community of organisms as a result of natural causes. Local die-offs can be caused by such factors as an unusual or extreme weather pattern, an outbreak of disease, or toxic algal blooms in a body of water. Widespread or global die-offs in which a species or group of species becomes extinct are generally associated with rapid climate change or other large-scale environmental dislocations.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of die-off1
First recorded in 1935–40; noun use of verb phrase die off
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Idioms and Phrases
Perish one by one, as in A celibate community, the Shakers are dying off . [Late 1600s]Advertisement
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Related Words
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.
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