corpse

== English == === Alternative forms === corps, corse (obsolete) === Etymology === From Middle English, from earlier corse, from Old French cors, from Latin corpus (“body”). Displaced native English likam and lich. The ⟨p⟩ was inserted due to the original Latin spelling. Doublet of corps and corpus, and distantly of riff (via Proto-Indo-European). The verb sense derives from the notion of being unable to control laughter while acting as dead body. === Pronunciation === (horse–hoarse merger) (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kɔːps/ (General American) IPA(key): /koɹps/, [kʰo̞ɹps] (Australia) IPA(key): /koːps/ Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)ps (without the horse–hoarse merger) (rhotic) IPA(key): /kɔːɹps/ (non-rhotic) IPA(key): /kɔːps/ === Noun === corpse (plural corpses) A dead body, especially that of a human as opposed to an animal. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:corpse For more quotations using this term, see Citations:corpse. The dead body of any animal with flesh; the dead body of a vertebrate; a carcass. (archaic, sometimes derogatory) A human body in general, whether living or dead. Synonyms: see Thesaurus:body ==== Usage notes ==== In idiomatic usage, the dead body of a nonhuman animal is called a carcass whereas the dead body of a human is called a corpse. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === corpse (third-person singular simple present corpses, present participle corpsing, simple past and past participle corpsed) (intransitive, slang, of an actor) To laugh uncontrollably during a performance. (transitive, slang, of an actor) To cause another actor to do this. === Anagrams === Pecors, corpes, scoper, Crespo, Scrope, copers, Pescor, Cosper