die-off

1 of 2

noun

: a sudden sharp decline of a population of animals or plants that is not caused directly by human activity

die off

2 of 2

verb

died off; dying off; dies off

intransitive verb

: to die sequentially either singly or in numbers so that the total number is greatly diminished

Examples of die-off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The dewatering of the river and the mass fish die-off sparked an outpouring of concern in the community. Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024 Now, the important job of constricting algae — of giving corals a better shot at growing and recovering from die-offs — has fallen to certain vegetarian fish, including the parrotfish. Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024
Verb
Indeed, while much of the Caribbean’s coral has died off in recent decades from bleaching and disease, the reef in Bonaire is still intact; parts of it are still thriving. Benji Jones, Vox, 8 Oct. 2024 Plants That Won’t Survive a First Frost Date Annuals Most annuals and tender perennials die off when Jack Frost comes around. Charlotte Germane, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for die-off 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'die-off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1936, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of die-off was in 1697

Dictionary Entries Near die-off

Cite this Entry

“Die-off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/die-off. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

die-off

noun
ˈdī-ˌȯf
: a sudden sharp drop in the numbers of plants or animals in a group
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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