First Known Use: 1646
Dictionary
1deathwatch
noun death·watch \ˈdeth-ˌwäch\
Definition of DEATHWATCH
: a small insect that makes a ticking sound; especially : deathwatch beetle
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Origin of DEATHWATCH
death + watch (timepiece); from the superstition that its ticking presages death
Rhymes with DEATHWATCH
2deathwatch
noun
Definition of DEATHWATCH
1
: a vigil kept over the dead or dying
2
: the guard set over a criminal to be executed
Origin of DEATHWATCH
death + watch (vigil)
First Known Use: circa 1890
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