Word
corpse
US/ˈkɔɹps/
UK/kˈɔːps/
Definitions
01dead body
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. the dead body of a person.
n. the deceased body of a human being.
“The police found a corpse in the abandoned house yesterday morning.”
“Medical students must learn to treat each corpse with respect during their anatomy dissections.”
Usage
In modern usage, 'corpse' almost exclusively refers to humans, while 'carcass' refers to animals.
02to laugh during a performance
C1 · Advanced Theater British English · Informal · Slang
v. to laugh suddenly when you are acting in a play or film and should be serious.
v. to break character by laughing uncontrollably during a theatrical performance or filming.
“The actor started to corpse during the funeral scene because his co-star made a funny face.”
“It is notoriously difficult for comedians to avoid corpsing when their partners begin improvising unexpected lines during a live recording.”
Usage
The verb is usually intransitive, though it can be used transitively to mean 'making someone else laugh'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“He talks to one herder in the Spiti Valley of the Indian Himalayas who nonchalantly relates that he shot a snow leopard after it attacked his goats, and dumped its corpse in a river.” “Iván Cepeda, the leftwing candidate beaten by De La Espriella in June’s election, wrote on X : “He strolls among the bags with the corpses.” Etymology
From Middle English, from earlier corse, from Old French cors, from Latin corpus (“body”). Displaced native English likam and lich. The ⟨p⟩ was inserted due to the original Latin spelling. Doublet of corps and corpus, and distantly of riff (via Proto-Indo-European). The verb sense derives from the notion of being unable to control laughter while acting as dead body.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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