corpse

English

Alternative forms

• corse (obsolete)

Etymology

From earlier corse, from Old French cors, from Latin corpus (“body”). Displaced native Old English lic (whence modern English word lich). The p was inserted due to the original Latin spelling. Cognate with German Körper (“body”). Doublet of corps and corpus.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔːps/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɹps/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈkoːps/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)ps

Noun

corpse (plural corpses)

1. A dead body.
2. (archaic, sometimes derogatory) A human body in general, whether living or dead.

Synonyms

• (dead body): See Thesaurus:corpse
• (body in any state): See Thesaurus:body

Related terms

• corporate
• corporation
• corporeal
• corps
• corpsy
• corpulent
• corpus

Translations

dead body

• Abaza: псхъа́ (psqā́)
• Abkhaz: аԥсы (āpsə)
• Adyghe: хьадэ́ (ḥādắ)
• Afar: ginaada, raysa
• Afrikaans: lyk (af), kadawer
• Ahtna: cʼezaegeʼ
• Ainu: ケウ (kew), ケウェ (kewe)
• Alabama: aatilli
• Albanian: kufomë (sq) f, meit (sq) m
• Alemannic German: Laicha, Leisch (Alsatian)
• Amharic: ሬሳ (resa), አስከሬን (ʾäskären)
• Antillean Creole: kadav
• Ao: tesemang
• Apalaí: ekepyry
• Arabic: جُثَّة‎ f (juṯṯa), جُثْمَان‎ m (juṯmān), جِيفَة‎ f (jīfa), مَيِّت‎ m (mayyit), جَسَد‎ m (jasad)

  Egyptian Arabic: جـِتّـَة‎ (gitta)

• Aragonese: calabre m
• Aramaic:

  Syriac: ܩܽܘܫܪܳܐ‎, ܫܰܠܕܳܐ‎, ܬܰܓܪܽܘܡܬܳܐ‎

• Arapaho: 3iik
• Archi: зана́зи (zanazi), ле́кки (lekki)
• Armenian: դիակ (hy) (diak), դի (hy) (di), աճյուն (hy) (ačyun)
• Aromanian: cuhmã f, lesh n, mãrshi f, murtãciuni f; psutimi f (animal)
• Assamese: শ (xo), মৰা শ (mora xo)
• Asturian: cadabre m
• Avar: жаназа (žanaza)
• Aymara: amaya
• Azerbaijani: cəsəd, meyit, leş
• Bade: gə̀vì, ə̀gvì (Gashua)
• Bagvalal: гьа^ндáжим (hãdažim), щóтка (ššotka)
• Baluchi: مُردَگ‎, لاشہ‎
• Bambara: sǔ
• Bashkir: мәйет (mäyet), үлек (ülek)
• Basque: gorpu, hilotz
• Belarusian: труп m (trup), мярцвя́к m (mjarcvják)
• Bengali: মৃতদেহ (mritdeh), লাশ (laś), মড়া (môṛa), শব (śôb)
• Bezhta: жаназа (žanaza)
• Biloxi: thê
• Bislama: dedbodi
• Bole: gū̀
• Breton: kelan (br) m, korf marv (br) m
• Bukusu: kumulaambo; omufu (person)
• Bulgarian: труп (bg) m (trup)
• Burmese: အသေ (my) (a.se)
• Buryat: хүүр (xüür)
• Catalan: cadàver (ca) m
• Cebuano: haya, minatay
• Central Atlas Tamazight: ⴰⵎⵜⵜⵉⵏ (amttin), ⵍⵊⵓⵜⵜⴰ (ljutta)
• Central Tarahumara: chuʼhuí
• Ch'orti': chamen
• Chamorro: kådåbet, måtai
• Chechen: дакъа (daq̇a)
• Chepang: म्हङ् (hmaŋ)
• Cherokee: ᎤᎵᏬᏨᎯ (uliwotsvhi)
• Chicahuaxtla Triqui: niman³ (Chicahuaxtla)
• Chichewa: mtembo, maliro, mzimizi, wakufa
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 屍體 (si¹ tai²), 死屍 (sei² si¹), 屍身 (si¹ san¹), 屍首 (si¹ sau²) (archaic)

  Hakka: 屍首 (sṳ̂-sú), 屍體 (sṳ̂-thí), 死屍 (sí-sṳ̂)

  Mandarin: 屍體 (zh), 尸体 (zh) (shītǐ)

  Min Nan: 屍體 (zh-min-nan) (si-thé), 死屍 (sí-si)

• Chiquihuitlán Mazatec: ni⁴ma⁴
• Choctaw: hatak illi
• Chol: kuktal, chʼujlelʌl
• Chopi: cidumbu, cirumbu, lufo (Lenge)
• Chuj: chamnak
• Chuvash: виле (vile), ÿт (ÿt)
• Copainalá Zoque: caʼupʌ
• Coptic: ⳓⲟⲗϩⲥ (ⳓolhs), ϣⲟⲗϩⲥ (šolhs)

  Boharic: ⲙⲉⲗⲟⲥ (melos), ⲛⲉⲕⲣⲟⲛ (nekron)

• Cornish: difeythyow m (person)
• Corsican: cadaveru m
• Crimean Tatar:

  Cyrillic: джесет, мевта, олю

  Latin: ceset, mevta, ölü

• Cumbric: celenn f
• Czech: mrtvola (cs) f, mrtvý (cs) m
• Danish: lig (da) n, kadaver (da) n
• Dargwa: жаназа (žanaza)
• Dení: abapu, eteru
• Dhivehi: ގަބުރު‎ (gaburu)
• Dutch: lijk (nl) n, kreng (nl); kadaver (nl) (animal)
• Duwai: ə̀gvù
• Dzongkha: རོ (ro), བམ (bam), ཕུང་པོ (phung po)
• Erzya: улов (ulov)
• Esperanto: kadavro
• Estonian: laip (et)
• Eton (Cameroon): m̀-mìm class 3/4
• Evenki: гирарикта (girarikta), бучэ̄ (bučē), бунӣ (bunī)
• Ewe: amekuku
• Fang (Guinea): mbim
• Faroese: lík n
• Fiji Hindi: murdaa
• Finnish: raato (fi), ruumis (fi), kalmo (fi)
• French: cadavre (fr) m, corps (fr) m
• Frisian:

  North: Lieke

  Saterland: Lieke

  West: lyk c

• Friulian: cadavar m
• Fula: nyawkikina

  Pulaar: maaiɗo (Firdu)

• Gagauz: leş
• Galician: cadáver (gl) m
• Gallurese: catàvaru m, cadàvaru m
• Georgian: გვამი (gvami), ცხედარი (cxedari)
• German: Leiche (de) f, Leichnam (de) m
• Gilbertese: banna, mate, rabata
• Godoberi: жана́за (žanaza), ра́кьиме pl (rakʼime)
• Gothic: 𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺 n (leik), 𐌽𐌰𐌿𐍃 m (naus)
• Greek: πτώμα (el) n (ptóma), κουφάρι (el) n (koufári)

  Ancient: πτῶμα n (ptôma), νεκρός m (nekrós)

• Greenlandic: please add this translation if you can
• Guajajára: awa hetekwer umàno ma'e kwer, mànogwer
• Guaraní: tetekue, te'õngue

  Mbyá Guaraní: mba'e guaxu

  Tapieté: t-ä'öwë

• Guerrero Amuzgo: seiʼtsʼo (Oaxaca), tsʼoo (Oaxaca)
• Gujarati: લાશ (lāś), શબ (śab)
• Haitian Creole: kadav
• Hausa: gāwā f
• Hawaiian: kupapaʻu, kino make
• Hebrew: גּוּפָה‎ (he) f (gufá), גְּוִיָּה / גוויה‎ f (gviyá)
• Herero: omutundu, otyitundu
• Hidatsa: nóogdé
• Highland Popoluca: tsúts
• Highland Totonac: tiʼyaʼtlīhuāʼ xanīn
• Hiligaynon: bángkay, minatáy
• Hindi: लाश (hi) f (lāś), शव (hi) m (śav)
• Hinukh: жана́за (žanaza), ра́къи (rakʼi)
• Huave: nandeow (San Mateo del Mar)
• Huehuetla Tepehua: alasanin
• Hungarian: holttest (hu), hulla (hu)
• Iban: bangkai, bukang
• Icelandic: lík (is) n, hræ (is) n, nár m (poetic)
• Ido: kadavro (io)
• Igbo: ọchụ, ozu
• Ilocano: minatay
• Indonesian: mayat (id), jenazah (id), batang (id)
• Ingush: дакъа (daq̇a)
• Interlingua: cadavere (ia)
• Interlingue: cadavre, morto
• Inuktitut: ᐃᓄᕕᓂᖅ (inuviniq)
• Irish: corp (ga) m, corpán m, marbhán m, marbh (ga) m
• Isthmus Mixe: hoʼoguiäyaʼay (human); toc (animal)
• Italian: cadavere (it) m, corpo (it) m
• Jamsay: nùwⁿó
• Japanese: 死体 (ja) (したい, shitai), 屍体 (ja) (したい, shitai)
• Javanese: mayit (jv), jisim, kunarpa, layon (jv)
• K'iche': käminaq
• Kabardian: хьэдэ (ḥădă)
• Kabyle: ljetta
• Kadugli: omudi eyi, thoda m-omudi theyi
• Kalmyk: күш (küş), шарл (şarl)
• Kannada: ಹೆಣ (kn) (heṇa)
• Kansa: ts'é
• Kapampangan: bangke
• Karachay-Balkar: ёлюк (human); мыллык (animal)
• Karakalpak: oʻlik, suʻyek
• Karekare: gùbù
• Karipúna: cadab
• Kashubian: please add this translation if you can
• Kazakh: мәйіт (mäyit), өлік (kk) (ölik)
• Khakas: сӧӧк (sӧӧk), тоң сӧӧк (toñ sӧӧk)
• Kham: ^{(please verify)} ऺमोःरो ('mohro) (Taka)
• Khmer: សាកសព (km) (saak sɑp), សព (km) (sɑp), ខ្មោច (km) (khmaoc)
• Kimbundu: kimbi
• Komi-Permyak: шой (šoj)
• Komi-Zyrian: шой (šoj)
• Kongo: mvumbi class 9/10, nyômbo class 9/10; fwila (animal)
• Konkani: ^{(please verify)} moḍeñ
• Korean: 시체 (ko) (siche)
• Kumyk: сюек (sjuek), оьлю (ölju)
• Kurdish: cenaze (ku), cendek (ku), term (ku), kelex (ku), meyît (ku)

  Central Kurdish: تەرم‎ (term), کەلاک‎ (kelak), لاشە‎ (laşe), مەیت‎ (meyt)

• Kven: ruumis
• Kyrgyz: өлүк (ky) (ölük)
• Ladin: cadaver m, mort m
• Lak: жаназа (žanaza), нурчӏи (nurč̣i)
• Lakota: wičhát’a
• Lao: ກະເລວະຣາ (ka lē wa rā), ຄາບ (khāp), ຂອນຜີ (khǭn phī)
• Latgalian: myrūņs, nabašnīks
• Latin: cadaver n
• Latvian: līķis m
• Laz: პასალი (ṗasali)
• Lezgi: мейит (mejit), кьейи (q̇eji), леш (leš)
• Ligurian: cadaveru m (Monegasque)
• Limburgish: liek (li) n, kadaver
• Lingala: ebembe class 7/8
• Lithuanian: lavonas m
• Livvi: hašku
• Lombard: cadàer m (Bergamasque)
• Low German: Liek f

  Dutch Low Saxon: kedaver

• Lozi: sibimbi, situpu
• Luba-Kasai: citàlù class 7/8
• Luganda: omulambo
• Luhya: kumubili
• Luxembourgish: Läich, Kadaver
• Maasai: ɛm-pɔ́pɔ̀ŋ, ɔl-mɛ́nɛ́ŋaní
• Macedonian: труп m (trup), леш m (leš)
• Machiguenga: kamatsírini

• Madurese: mayyit
• Maia: tabum
• Makonde: mtuhi
• Malagasy: faty (mg)
• Malay: mayat, jenazah, jasad
• Malayalam: ശവം (ml) (śavaṃ)
• Maltese: katavru
• Manchu: ᡤᡳᡵᠠᠨ (giran)
• Mangarevan: tupapaku
• Manx: corp m, oll, convayrt m
• Maore Comorian: mufu, šipinda
• Maori: tūpāpaku, kōhiwi, kōiwi
• Mapudungun: ḻa
• Marathi: मुडदा (muḍdā)
• Mari:

  Eastern: виля (vilja)

  Western: виля (vilja)

• Maxakalí: xaxxok
• Meru: mukou
• Mezquital Otomi: alma
• Mian: háam
• Middle English: corps, cors
• Middle Persian: [script needed] (ristag), [script needed] (nasā)
• Miya: vī̀yaw
• Moksha: ловажа (lovaža)
• Mongolian: хүүр (mn) (hüür), цогцос (mn) (tsogtsos)
• Motu: masena, pani
• Muduapa: podana
• Musey: ɦàànà m, mātnā m
• Nahuatl: micquetl, micqui
• Nauruan: gatduwen
• Navajo: diné daninéhígíí (human)
• Neapolitan: cadavere m
• Nepali: मुर्दा (murdā), मुदार् (mudār), लाश (lāś); लास (lāsa) (human)
• Ngamo: gùbù
• Nganasan: буедү- (buedü-)
• Ngarrindjeri: krinkari
• Ngizim: gùvù
• Norman: cadâvre m
• North Marquesan: tupapaku
• Northern Qiang: ʐmu
• Northern Sami: rumaš
• Northern Sotho: setopo, nkhu
• Norwegian: lik (no) n

  Bokmål: lik (no) n, kadaver n

• Novial: kadavre
• Nyole (Uganda): omulambo, omufu (human)
• Occitan: cadabre m, cadabre m
• Ojibwe: jiibay
• Old East Slavic: трупъ m (trupŭ)
• Old English: līc, līċ n
• Old High German: līh f
• Old Irish: marbán m
• Old Norse: lík n, nár m
• Old Prussian: nowis f
• Old Saxon: līk n
• Oluwanga: omulambo
• Oriya: ଳାକ୍ (ḷak), ଶବ (or) (śôbô), ମୃତଦେହ (mrutôdehô), କଟ (or) (kôṭô)
• Oromo: reeffa
• Ossetian: мард (mard), мардыбуар (mardybwar)
• Ottoman Turkish: جنازه‎ (cenâze, cinâze)
• Ozumacín Chinantec: jmɨ^-ngo^·ǀ kih^·ǀ hlɨɨ^·/ (Ozumacín)
• Pali: chava
• Palu'e: ata mata
• Papantla Totonac: ni̲n, xaní̲n
• Papiamentu: kadaver
• Parakanã: erewer, etekwer
• Pashto: نعش‎ (ps) (na'š), جسد‎ (ps) (jasad), مړى‎ (meray), درنګه‎ (dranga)
• Paumarí: aba'o-
• Persian: جنازه‎ (fa) (janâze, jenâze), جسد‎ (fa) (jasad), کالبد‎ (fa) (kâlbod), لاشه‎ (fa) (lâše); نعش‎ (fa) (naʿš) (human)

  Dari: نعش‎ (fa) (naʿš), لاش‎ (fa) (lâš), جنازه‎ (fa) (janâze) (human)

• Picard: cadafe f
• Piedmontese: cadàver m
• Pirahã: kuabec (Manicoré)
• Pitjantjatjara: miri
• Pitta-Pitta: kunhtha
• Plains Cree: ᒥᔭᐤ (miyaw)
• Plautdietsch: Leijch
• Polish: zwłoki (pl) f pl, trup (pl) m, ciało (pl) n, truchło (pl) n (obsolete)
• Portuguese: cadáver (pt) m, corpo (pt) m
• Punjabi: ਲੋਥ (loth)
• Purepecha: uarhiri
• Quechua: aya
• Rapa Nui: pâpaku
• Rarotongan: tupapaku
• Romani: please add this translation if you can
• Romanian: cadavru (ro) n, corp mort m
• Romansch: cadaver m
• Rumu: kumakâi, purì
• Russian: труп (ru) m (trup), мёртвое те́ло n (mjórtvoje télo), мертве́ц (ru) m (mertvéc), мертвя́к (ru) m (mertvják), мёртвый (ru) m (mjórtvyj), па́даль (ru) f (pádalʹ) (animal)
• Rusyn: труп (trup), трупло (truplo)
• Rwanda-Rundi: umurambo class 3/4, intumbi class 9/10 (Rwanda); iki-gaga, iki-gagara, iki-ziga, umu-vyīmba (Rundi)
• Sami:

  Kildin: ёамм-олма (joamm-olma)

  Northern: liika

• Samoan: tagata oti
• San Juan Atzingo Popoloca: ntōe chojni tsíqʼuen (human); ntōe co tsíqʼuen (animal)
• Sango: küi, kïnda
• Sanskrit: शव (sa) m (śava)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: catàvaru m, cadàveri m

  Logudorese: càdaru m, cadàvere m, carasu m

  Sassarese: morthu m, murthogiu m (animal)

• Scots: corp, lyke
• Scottish Gaelic: corp m, marbhan m, cairis f, closach f, lubha m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: леш m

  Roman: leš (sh) m

• Seri: ziix hacx cmiih
• Sherpa: रो (ro)
• Shona: chitunha class 7
• Sichuan Yi: ꂾꈠ (mox gguo), ꊿꂿ (co mo)
• Sicilian: cadaviri m
• Sindhi: لاشَ‎ (lāś), لوٿَ‎, مَيْٿُ‎, سِرِيهُ‎, مَڙهُ‎, مُرْدو‎, مَيَتُ‎
• Sinhalese: මළ සිරුර (maḷa sirura), මළ කඳ (maḷa kan̆da)
• Slovak: mŕtvola f
• Slovene: truplo (sl) n
• Sogdian: [script needed] (mwrty /murtḗ/)
• Somali: rakh, miyid (human); bakhti (animal)
• Sorbian:

  Lower: śěło n, śěłko n

  Upper: ćěło n

• Sotho: setopo
• South Efate: temat
• South Marquesan: tupapaʻu
• Southern Altai: ӧлгӧн кижиниҥ сӧӧги (ölgön kižiniŋ söögi), сек (sek) (animals)
• Spanish: cadáver (es) m
• Sranan Tongo: dedeskin, dede
• Sudovian: novis m
• Sumerian: adda, dim
• Sundanese: mayit, layon
• Svan: გვამი (gvami)
• Swahili: maiti (sw), mfu (sw)
• Swazi: úmùfí
• Swedish: lik (sv) n, kadaver (sv) n, as (sv) n (non-human)
• Tabasaran: майит (majit), жжандак (žžandak)
• Tabasco Chontal: ajchäme
• Tacana: emanu s’a ekita
• Tagalog: bangkay
• Tahitian: tūpāpa'u
• Tajik: майит (mayit), мурда (tg) (murda), ҷасад (jasad), ҷаноза (janoza), лош (loš)
• Tamil: பிணம் (ta) (piṇam)
• Tatar: мәет (tt) (mäyet), гәүдә (ğäüdä), корпус (qorpus)
• Teke-Tege: kabìmà class 7/8, nkwóonó class 9/6
• Telugu: శవం (te) (śavaṃ), శవము (te) (śavamu)
• Tenharim:

  Kagwahiv: avujipava

  Parintintín: aranongar, avujipav

• Tepeuxila Cuicatec: tna²¹an⁴
• Tetum: mate isin (human); maten (animal)
• Thai: ศพ (th) (sòp), อสุภ (à-sùp)
• Tibetan: རོ (ro)
• Tigrinya: ሬሳ (ti) (resa), በድኒ (bädni)
• Tindi: джана́за (džanaza), къаркъа́ла (qʼarqʼala)
• Tocharian B: śwāl*
• Tok Pisin: daiman
• Totontepec Mixe: o̲o̲ʼcpa
• Tsez: жана́за (žanaza)
• Tsimané: sänaquety, sänaques, so'vo'
• Tswana: serepa, setopo
• Tuamotuan: tupapaku, tupua
• Turkish: ceset (tr), naaş (tr)
• Turkmen: meýit, jeset (tk), läsh
• Tuscarora: uyáʔneh
• Tuvaluan: foitino mate
• Tuvan: мөчү сөөк (möčü söök), скелет (skälät)
• Tzeltal: chamen winic
• Udmurt: шӧй (šöj), ӧлемсэй (ölemsej); ӧлакса (ölaksa) (animal)
• Ukrainian: труп (uk) m (trup), мертве́ць m (mertvécʹ), мрець m (mrecʹ)
• Umbundu: ochivimbu
• Urdu: لاش‎ f (lāś), جسد‎ m (jasad), شو‎ m (śav)
• Uyghur: جەسەت‎ (jeset), مۇردا‎ (murda), ئۆلۈك‎ (ölük)
• Uzbek: oʻlik (uz), jasad (uz), murda (uz), oʻlik (uz)
• Venetian: cadàvere m
• Veps: kolliihibj
• Vietnamese: xác (vi), thi thể (vi), tử thi (vi)
• Volapük: fun (vo), menafun
• Walloon: cadâve m
• Waray-Waray: minatay
• Wastek: tsamneo, tsemēlon
• Welsh: celain (cy) f, abar, corff marw, cyrff (cy) m pl
• White Hmong: lub cev tuag
• Wojenaka: flé
• Wolof: néew (wo)
• Xavante: dahâibahâ, dahâiba warõ
• Xhosa: isidumbu
• Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: xanīn, sputniʼ
• Yakut: өлүк (ölük)
• Yiddish: מת‎ (mes), מעס‎ (mes)
• Yoruba: òkú ènìyàn
• Yosondúa Mixtec: ndɨyɨ (Yosondúa)
• Yucatec Maya: kimen, aj kiimén
• Yup'ik: tuqumalria
• Yurok: kesomuey, moyken
• Zapotec:

  Isthmus: gueʼtuʼ

  Yatzachi: cuerp

  Zoogocho: ben̲at

• Zazaki: meyît, cendeg
• Zoogocho Zapotec: anima
• Zulu: isidumbu class 7/8
• ǃXóõ: ǀʻáã

Verb

corpse (third-person singular simple present corpses, present participle corpsing, simple past and past participle corpsed)

1. (intransitive, slang, of an actor) To lose control during a performance and laugh uncontrollably.
   • 1993, John Banville, Ghosts

     There were still moments when she would halt suddenly, like an actor stranded in the middle of the stage, lines forgotten, staring goggle-eyed and making fish-mouths...Corpsing: that was the word.

Anagrams

• Cosper, Crespo, Pecors, copers, corpes, scoper