Meaning & use
corpse
Last updated
UK/kɔːps/
US/kɔːrps/
Meaning
nouncountable
A dead body, especially of a human being.
Grammar: Use with a/an or plural: a corpse, two corpses.
Patterns
- a corpse
- the corpse of someone
The police found a corpse in the abandoned house.
The corpse was identified by dental records.
She was shocked to see a corpse at the crime scene.
Word forms
| plural | corpses |
|---|
Common combinations
- a dead corpse
- The phrase 'a dead corpse' is redundant because a corpse is already dead.
- the corpse of
- The corpse of the missing man was found in the river.
- identify a corpse
- Forensic experts were able to identify the corpse.
- corpse pose
- In yoga, savasana is also called corpse pose.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- corpselike adjective
- Resembling a corpse; pale and lifeless.
Commonly confused: corpse or carcass?
corpse vs carcass
Carcass is used for the dead body of an animal, while corpse is for a human.
Practice
The police discovered a ______ in the abandoned warehouse.
Choose one answer.
Corpse is the most common word for a dead human body in general contexts. Carcass is for animals, body can be living or dead, and cadaver is technical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “corpse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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