King of Terrors
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Calque of Biblical Hebrew בַּלָּהֽוֹת לְמֶ֣לֶךְ (“king of terrors”) from Job 18:14.[1]
Proper noun
[edit]- (poetic) death
- 1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, “In Which Charles Archer Puts Himself upon the Country”, in The House by the Church-yard. […], volume III, London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 285:
- Mr. Dangerfield, or shall we say the villain, Charles Archer, with characteristic promptitude and coolness, availed himself of the interval to try every influence he could once have set in motion, and as it were to gather his strength for a mighty tussle with the king of terrors, when his pale fingers should tap at his cell-door.