# Dies

/ˈdaɪz/ (US) · /dˈaɪz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dies
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to stop living

verb · CEFR A2

to stop living or to stop working.

For teachers: the third-person singular present indicative of 'die', meaning to cease living or to stop functioning.

- The plant dies if you do not give it enough water.
- The engine often dies when the car idling at a red light, suggesting a serious problem with the fuel pump.

### 2. shaping tools

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

special tools used to cut or shape metal and other materials into a specific form.

For teachers: the plural of 'die' in the technical sense of devices used for cutting, shaping, or stamping materials.

- The factory uses metal dies to make the shape of the car doors.
- The precision-engineered dies were replaced after ten thousand cycles to ensure the consistency of the stamped components.

Usage: This is the specific plural for the industrial tool; the plural for the small cube used in games is 'dice'.

## Examples

- The old tree dies in the winter.
- The flowers will stay fresh for a week, but they eventually die if you do not change the water.
- In many classic tragedies, the protagonist dies in the final act, a narrative choice that serves to emphasize the weight of their previous moral failings.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.