1
: a vigil kept over the dead or dying
2
: the guard set over a criminal to be executed
Examples of deathwatch in a Sentence
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Kathryn Jean Lopez,
National Review,
3 Mar. 2025
Enlarge Getty Images The EV charging plug deathwatch might need to be kicked into a higher gear.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
Ars Technica,
29 June 2023
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Noun
That is, until a papal deathwatch united us — just as John Paul II’s last days once had.
—
Kathryn Jean Lopez,
National Review,
3 Mar. 2025
Enlarge Getty Images The EV charging plug deathwatch might need to be kicked into a higher gear.
—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
Ars Technica,
29 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Deathwatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deathwatch. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deathwatch
1 of 2 noun
death·watch
ˈdeth-ˌwäch 
: a small insect (as a beetle) that makes a ticking sound
deathwatch
2 of 2 noun
: a watch kept over the dead or dying
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