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mortal
mor·tal / ˈmôrtl/ • adj. 1. (of a living human being, often in contrast to a divine being) subject to death: all men are mortal. ∎ of or relating to humanity as subject to death: the coffin held the mortal remains of her uncle. ∎ inf. conceivable or imaginable: punishment out of all mortal proportion to the offense. 2. causing or liable to cause death; fatal: a mortal disease | fig. the scandal appeared to have struck a mortal blow to the government. ∎ (of a battle) fought to the death: from the outbuildings came the screams of men in mortal combat. ∎ (of an enemy or a state of hostility) admitting or allowing no reconciliation until death. ∎ Christian Theol. denoting a grave sin that is regarded as depriving the soul of divine grace. Often contrasted with venial. ∎ (of a feeling, esp. fear) very intense: parents live in mortal fear of children's diseases. ∎ inf. very great: he was in a mortal hurry. ∎ inf., dated long and tedious: for three mortal days it rained. • n. a human being subject to death, often contrasted with a divine being. ∎ humorous a person contrasted with others regarded as being of higher status or ability: an ambassador had to live in a style that was not expected of lesser mortals. |
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"mortal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mortal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mortal.html "mortal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mortal.html |
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mortal
mortal subject to death, human; deadly, fatal XIV; (of sin) XV; of or pert. to death XVI. — OF. mortal, latinized var. of OF. (also mod.) mortel, whence ME. mortel; or directly — L. mortālis, f. mors, mort- death, f. IE. *mor- *meṛ- *mr- die, as in L. morī die, mortuus dead, Gr. brotoí mortals, émorten died, OSl. mīrǫ. Lith. mìrštu I die, Skr. mriyáte dies; see -AL1.
So mortality XIV. — (O)F. — L. |
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "mortal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "mortal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-mortal.html T. F. HOAD. "mortal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-mortal.html |
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mortal
mortal adj.
1. (of a battle) fought to the death: from the outbuildings came the screams of men in mortal combat. 2. (of an enemy or a state of hostility) admitting or allowing no reconciliation until death. |
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Cite this article
"mortal." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mortal." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-mortal.html "mortal." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-mortal.html |
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mortal
mortal •battle, cattle, chattel, embattle, prattle, rattle, Seattle, tattle
•fractal
•cantle, covenantal, mantel, mantle, Prandtl
•pastel • Fremantle • tittle-tattle
•startle, stratal
•Nahuatl
•fettle, kettle, metal, mettle, nettle, petal, Popocatépetl, settle
•dialectal, rectal
•dental, gentle, mental, Oriental, parental, rental
•transeptal
•festal, vestal
•gunmetal
•antenatal, fatal, hiatal, natal, neonatal, ratel
•beetle, betel, chital, decretal, fetal
•blackbeetle
•acquittal, belittle, brittle, committal, embrittle, it'll, kittle, little, remittal, skittle, spittle, tittle, victual, whittle
•edictal, rictal
•lintel, pintle, quintal
•Bristol, Chrystal, crystal, pistol
•varietal • coital • phenobarbital
•orbital • pedestal • sagittal • vegetal
•digital • skeletal • Doolittle
•congenital, genital, primogenital, urogenital
•capital • lickspittle • hospital • marital
•entitle, mistitle, recital, requital, title, vital
•subtitle • surtitle
•axolotl, bottle, dottle, glottal, mottle, pottle, throttle, wattle
•fontal, horizontal
•hostel, intercostal, Pentecostal
•greenbottle • bluebottle • Aristotle
•chortle, immortal, mortal, portal
•Borstal
•anecdotal, sacerdotal, teetotal, total
•coastal, postal
•subtotal
•brutal, footle, pootle, refutal, rootle, tootle
•buttle, cuttle, rebuttal, scuttle, shuttle, subtle, surrebuttal
•buntal, contrapuntal, frontal
•crustal • societal • pivotal
•hurtle, kirtle, myrtle, turtle
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Cite this article
"mortal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mortal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-mortal.html "mortal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-mortal.html |
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