corpse
corpse — noun
1. the body of a person who has died, especially one that is found, examined in a m
the body of a person who has died, especially one that is found, examined in a medical setting, or prepared for a funeral
The police found a corpse in the abandoned warehouse on Tuesday morning.
passive possible: 'a corpse was found'
Karim had to identify the corpse of his uncle at the city hospital.
collocation: identify a corpse
A fisherman discovered a corpse floating in the river near the bridge.
Detective Owen looked at the corpse carefully for any marks of violence.
collocation: examine / look at a corpse
Before the funeral, the family gathered to see the corpse one last time.
formal context: 'remains' is sometimes preferred
- identify a corpse
- discover a corpse
- examine a corpse
- the corpse of [someone]
- a corpse was found
Grammar Patterns
the corpse of [someone]
Usage Note
For the body of a dead animal, 'carcass' is the usual word. 'Remains' is a more formal and respectful alternative.
Common Mistakes
corpse — verb
1. in theatre, to laugh when you should stay serious during a performance, spoiling
in theatre, to laugh when you should stay serious during a performance, spoiling the scene, or to make another actor laugh
During the serious play, Tuan accidentally corpsed and the whole scene fell apart.
intransitive use: actor corpsed
The director told the actors not to corpse, no matter how funny the mistake was.
infinitive pattern: told [someone] not to corpse
Owen corpsed the whole cast when a stage light fell onto the floor.
transitive use: corpsed [someone]
Padma tried hard not to corpse when her partner forgot his lines.
- corpse on stage
- accidentally corpse
- corpse the cast
- try not to corpse
- break character
broader term for any failure to stay in role, not just laughing
- crack up
more general and informal; can happen anywhere, not just on stage
Grammar Patterns
corpse (no object)
corpse + [someone]
Usage Note
This word is only used by actors and theatre professionals. It is not used in everyday conversation. The verb form is usually used in past tense ('corpsed') or infinitive ('to corpse').