Corpse
/kɔːps/
Definitions
A dead human or animal body, especially of a human.
/kɔːps/
A dead body, usually of a human.
The police discovered the corpse in the abandoned warehouse.
💡 Simply: Imagine a person who has passed away. A corpse is their body after they're no longer alive. Like, if you see a dead animal on the road, that's a corpse!
👶 For kids: A corpse is a dead body.
More Examples
The undertaker prepared the corpse for the funeral.
The raven sat upon the corpse.
How It's Used
"The forensic team examined the corpse for clues."
"The detective was faced with the grim sight of the corpse."
Idioms & expressions
over my dead body
Used to express strong opposition or refusal to allow something.
"You'll have to go over my dead body if you think I'm letting you take my car!"
From Old French *cors* (body), from Latin *corpus* (body). The meaning shifted to specifically a dead body over time.
The word 'corpse' has been used since the 13th century and has retained its core meaning, though its usage became more specialized in the context of forensic science and medical examinations.
Memory tip
Think of the word 'coarse' - a dead body is coarse and lifeless.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: corpus