corpse
corpse Lexical Profile
corpse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A dead body, especially of a human being rather than an animal.
"Archaeologists uncovered the well-preserved corpse of an ancient ruler inside the sealed stone tomb."
• verb
British To spoil a piece of acting by forgetting one's lines or laughing uncontrollably on stage or on camera (or to cause another actor to do so).
"The lead actor completely corpsed during the final scene when a prop unexpectedly fell off the wall."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'corpse' (a dead body, pronounced with a hard 'p') with 'corps' (an organized group or military unit, pronounced like 'core' with a silent 'p' and 's').
• Rhymes for corpse
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English 'corps', via Old French from Latin 'corpus' (meaning 'body'), with the 'p' reinserted in the 14th century to reflect the Latin spelling and eventually pronounced to distinguish it from 'corps'.