corpse
pronunciation
How to pronounce corpse in British English:
UK [kɔːps]
How to pronounce corpse in American English:
US [kɔːrps]
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- Noun:
- the dead body of a human being
Word Origin
- corpse
- corpse: [14] Latin corpus ‘body’ has two direct descendants in English: corpse, which came via Old French cors, and corps [18], which came via modern French corps. The former first entered English in the 13th century as cors, and during the 14th century it had its original Latin p reinserted. At first it meant simply ‘body’, but by the end of the 14th century the current sense ‘dead body’ was becoming firmly established.The idea originally underlying corps, on the other hand, was of a small ‘body’ of troops. Other English derivatives of corpus include corporal, corporate [15], from the past participle of Latin corporāre ‘make into a body’, corpulent [14], two diminutives corpuscle [17] and corset [14], and corsage [15]. Corpus itself was acquired in the 14th century.=> corporal, corporate, corpulent, corset
- corpse (n.)
- 1540s, variant spelling of corps (q.v.). The -p- originally was silent, as in French, and with some speakers still is. The terminal -e was rare before 19c. Corpse-candle is attested from 1690s.
Example
- 1. Mrs merkel may find herself governing with a political corpse .
- 2. Plus , most pathogens can 't survive long in a corpse .
- 3. If you commit suicide here , bears will poop on your corpse .
- 4. Heaven knows what harm a corpse might suffer from an unlicensed coffin .
- 5. The corpse 's arms were outstretched , the face partially stripped by seagulls .