Death means the act of dying and/or the cessation of life. It can also refer to the cause of dying as in - you'll be the death of me, or the manner of dying - a hero's death.

There is brain death and clinical death. Brain death being defined as irreversible brain damage and loss of brain function, as evidenced by cessation of breathing and other vital reflexes, unresponsiveness to stimuli, absence of muscle activity, and a flat electroencephalogram for a specific length of time. Respiration may continue, however the only true use for the individual is as an organ donor. Clinical death occurs when a licensed physician states, after an examination, that a person has expired. A death certificate is then issued.

Death has had a profound effect on all civilisations throughout the mists of time. It has prompted many peoples to create religions simply to help deal with the tragic event. There are numerous versions of what happens to people after death and nobody can say with absolute certainty if any one belief is more correct than another.

Colloquialisms

The act of dying has attracted plenty of colloquialisms. Here is how Monty Python, in a classic TV clip, described the death of a Norwegian Blue: "stone dead, demised, passed on, no more, ceased to be, a stiff, bereft of life, snuffed it, up the creek and kicked the bucket, extinct in its entirety, an ex-parrot". Listed below are a few more, not too serious, phrases you may hear.

• Pushing up daisy's.
• Buy the farm.
• Shuffle off this mortal coil.
• Dirt nap.
• Going on holiday to Belgium.
• Six feet under.
• Cash in your chips.
• Become worm food or worm buffet.
• A trip to Davey Jones' locker.
• Get your ticket punched.
• Your numbers' up.
• To peg out.
• The big or eternal sleep.
• Paying your debt to nature.
• To check out.
• To go to the happy hunting ground.
• To blink for an incredibly long period of time.
• A very effective way to cut down expenses.
• Cultivating a maggot farm.

More Information

A few helpful web sites regarding death, dying and the grieving process are: