death rattle

noun

: a rattling or gurgling sound produced by air passing through mucus in the lungs and air passages of a dying person

Word History

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of death rattle was in 1781

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death rate

death rattle

death ray

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Style

“Death rattle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20rattle. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.

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Medical Definition

death rattle

noun

: a rattling or gurgling sound produced by air passing through mucus in the lungs and air passages of a dying person

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