death rattle
The term "death rattle" originates from the distinctive sound heard in individuals nearing death, and it can also metaphorically describe the final stages of decline in various contexts.
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Definition
C1Medicine
(clinical, technical)A rattling or gurgling sound produced by a dying person due to the accumulation of fluids in the throat and airways.
Example
- The nurse recognized the death rattle and called the family to the bedside.
- Hearing the death rattle was a sign that the patient's time was very near.
C1Metaphor
(figurative, informal)The final signs or indications of the end of something, like an organization or system.
Example
- The company's latest financial report was the death rattle of a failing business.
- Critics say the new policy is the death rattle of the current administration.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "death rattle":
death throedeath knelldying gasplast ritesbreathe one's lastdeath roll