die

die¹

/duy/, v.i., died, dying.

1. to cease to live; undergo the complete and permanent cessation of all vital functions; become dead.

2. (of something inanimate) to cease to exist: The laughter died on his lips.

3. to lose force, strength, or active qualities: Superstitions die slowly.

4. to cease to function; stop: The motor died.

5. to be no longer subject; become indifferent: to die to worldly matters.

6. to pass gradually; fade or subside gradually (usually fol. by away, out, or down): The storm slowly died down.

7. Theol. to lose spiritual life.

8. to faint or languish.

9. to suffer as if fatally: I'm dying of boredom!

10. to pine with desire, love, longing, etc.: I'm dying to see my home again.

11. to desire or want keenly or greatly: I'm dying for a cup of coffee.

12. die away, (of a sound) to become weaker or fainter and then cease: The hoofbeats gradually died away.

13. die down, to become calm or quiet; subside.

14. die hard,

a. to die only after a bitter struggle.

b. to give way or surrender slowly or with difficulty: Childhood beliefs die hard.

15. die off, to die one after another until the number is greatly reduced: Her friends are dying off.

16. die out,

a. to cease to exist; become extinct: Both lines of the family died out before the turn of the century.

b. to die away; fade; subside: The roar of the engines died out as the rocket vanished into the clouds.

17. die standing up, Theat. (of a performance) to be received with silence rather than applause.

18. never say die, never give up hope; never abandon one's efforts.

19. to die for, stunning; remarkable: That dress is to die for.

[1150-1200; ME dien, deien < ON deyja. Cf. DEAD, DEATH]

Syn. 1. expire, depart. DIE, PASS AWAY (PASS ON), PERISH mean to relinquish life. TO DIE is to become dead from any cause and in any circumstances. It is the simplest, plainest, and most direct word for this idea, and is used figuratively of anything that has once displayed activity: An echo, flame, storm, rumor dies. PASS AWAY (or PASS ON) is a commonly used euphemism implying a con-tinuation of life after death: Grandfather passed away (passed on). PERISH, a more literary term, implies death under harsh circumstances such as hunger, cold, neglect, etc.; figuratively, PERISH connotes utter extinction: Hardship caused many pioneers to perish. Ancient Egyptian civilization has perished.

die²

/duy/, n., pl. dies for 1, 2, 4, dice for 3; v., died, dieing.

n.

1. Mach.

a. any of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or a stamping or forging machine.

b. a hollow device of steel, often composed of several pieces to be fitted into a stock, for cutting the threads of bolts or the like.

c. one of the separate pieces of such a device.

d. a steel block or plate with small conical holes through which wire, plastic rods, etc., are drawn.

2. an engraved stamp for impressing a design upon some softer material, as in coining money.

3. sing. of dice.

4. Archit. dado (def. 1).

5. the die is cast, the irrevocable decision has been made; fate has taken charge: The die is cast - I can't turn back.

v.t.

6. to impress, shape, or cut with a die.

[1300-50; ME de (in early modern E taking the vowel of the pl. form DICE) < OF de(i), presumbly < L datum given (neut. ptp. of dare to give), perh. in the deriv. sense "put, placed," hence "played, cast"]

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I

Tool or device for imparting a desired shape, form, or finish to a material.

Examples include a perforated block through which metal or plastic is drawn or extruded, the hardened steel forms for producing the patterns on coins and medals by pressure, and the hollow molds into which metal or plastic is forced. Modern tools and dies can be traced to the work of Honoré Blanc at the Saint-Étienne armoury in France beginning in 1780. Blanc's techniques were adopted and enlarged in the U.S. by Eli Whitney and others, who used templates (tool-guiding patterns) and fixtures

the antecedents of today's tools and dies

to mass-produce firearms for the U.S. Army (see armoury practice). Today the demand for dies used in metal forming, die casting, and plastic molding is filled by tool-and die-making shops.

II

(as used in expressions)

Brücke Die

die casting

die Grünen

tool and die making

Dies Martin Jr.

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▪ tool

      tool or device for imparting a desired shape, form, or finish to a material. Examples include a perforated block through which metal or plastic is drawn or extruded, the hardened steel forms for producing the patterns on coins and medals by pressure, and the hollow molds into which metal or plastic is forced. See also diesinking.

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