Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

death-name

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.19 in modern English

Syllables: death--name
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A name that is given (usually by a priest) to refer to someone who has died so that the living can avoid using the actual name of the dead person.

Example Sentences

"Indeed, those old insurgents, of 1868, are gradually being canonized with crimson death-names, because they neither knew dishonor, no, nor suffered it."
"The priest at that time would give a death-name for the deceased, eventually to be inscribed on a stone monument."
"Most death-names are not actually names but titles, given to persons on the death of a close relative."
"Using death-names instead of usual names is their way to protect the feelings of the bereft (using the name of the dead might arouse sad feelings)."

Inflected Forms

death-names (plural)

Questions

What does death-name mean?: A name that is given (usually by a priest) to refer to someone who has died so that the living can avoid using the actual name of the dead person.

How to pronounce death-name

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “death-name”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “death-name”.
Repeat and practice — Say “death-name” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.