deathblow

English

Etymology

From death +‎ blow.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛθbləʊ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

deathblow (plural deathblows)

1. A strike or blow that leads to death, especially a coup de grâce.
   • 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 41:

     He was also there at that fight when Hygelac folded under his deathblow.

   • 2002, Rom Marz, Ted Naifeh, Star Wars: Zam Wessel, →ISBN, page 18:

     Together we will finally strike a deathblow against the corrupt, bloated creature that is the so-called Republic.

2. (figurative) Something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence, of a project etc.; a fatal setback.

   The opening of the bridge dealt a deathblow to the ferry.

Alternative forms

• death blow

Synonyms

• (something that brings something to an end): another nail in one's coffin

Translations

strike or blow

• Finnish: armonisku, kuolinisku (fi)
• French: coup (fr) m fatal (fr), coup de grâce (fr) m
• German: Todesstoß (de) m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: banehugg n

• Old English: dēaþsleġe m
• Polish: śmiertelny cios m
• Russian: смерте́льный уда́р m (smertélʹnyj udár)
• Swahili: pigo la kifo

something that prevents the completion, or ends the existence of some project etc

• Finnish: kuolinisku (fi), armonisku
• French: coup (fr) m fatal (fr)
• German: Todesstoß (de) m
• Spanish: estocada (es)
• Swedish: dödsstöt (sv) c