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Webster 1913 Edition

Mortal

Mor′tal

,
Adj.
[F.
mortel
, L.
mortalis
, from
mors
,
mortis
, death, fr.
moriri
8die; akin to E.
murder
. See
Murder
, and cf.
Filemot
,
Mere
a lake,
Mortgage
.]
1.
Subject to death; destined to die;
as, man is
mortal
.
2.
Destructive to life; causing or occasioning death; terminating life; exposing to or deserving death; deadly;
as, a
mortal
wound; a
mortal
sin.
3.
Fatally vulnerable; vital.
Last of all, against himself he turns his sword, but missing the
mortal
place, with his poniard finishes the work.
Milton.
4.
Of or pertaining to the time of death.
Safe in the hand of one disposing Power,
Or in the natal or the
mortal
hour.
Pope.
5.
Affecting as if with power to kill; deathly.
The nymph grew pale, and in a
mortal
fright.
Dryden.
6.
Human; belonging to man, who is mortal;
as,
mortal
wit or knowledge;
mortal
power
.
The voice of God
To
mortal
ear is dreadful.
Milton.
7.
Very painful or tedious; wearisome;
as, a sermon lasting two
mortal
hours
.
[Colloq.]
Sir W. Scott.
Mortal foe
,
Mortal enemy
,
an inveterate, desperate, or implacable enemy; a foe bent on one’s destruction.

Mor′tal

,
Noun.
A being subject to death; a human being; man.
“Warn poor mortals left behind.”
Tickell.

Webster 1828 Edition

Mortal

MOR'TAL

,
Adj.
[L. mortalis, from mors, death, or morior, to die, that is, to fall.]
1.
Subject to death; destined to die. Man is mortal.
2.
Deadly; destructive to life; causing death, or that must cause death; as a mortal wound; mortal poison.
The fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world, and all our woe--
3.
Bringing death; terminating life.
Safe in the hand of one disposing power,
Or in the natal or the mortal hour.
4.
Deadly in malice or purpose; as a mortal foe. In colloquial language, a mortal foe is an inveterate foe.
5.
Exposing to certain death; incurring the penalty of death; condemned to be punished with death; not venial; as a mortal sin.
6.
Human; belonging to man who is mortal; as mortal wit or knowledge; mortal power.
The voice of God
To mortal ear is dreadful.
7.
Extreme; violent. [Not elegant.]
The nymph grew pale, and in a mortal fright--

MOR'TAL

,
Noun.
Man; a being subject to death; a human being.
Warn poor mortals left behind.
It is often used in ludicrous and colloquial language.
I can behold no mortal now.

Definition 2024

mortal

mortal

English

Adjective

mortal ‎(comparative more mortal, superlative most mortal)

  1. Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal. [from 14th c.]
  2. Causing death; deadly, fatal, killing, lethal (now only of wounds, injuries etc.). [from 14th c.]
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.11:
      Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fist / A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold […].
  3. Fatally vulnerable; vital.
    • Milton
      Last of all, against himself he turns his sword, but missing the mortal place, with his poniard finishes the work.
  4. Of or relating to the time of death.
    • Alexander Pope
      Safe in the hand of one disposing Power, / Or in the natal or the mortal hour.
  5. Affecting as if with power to kill; deathly.
    • Dryden
      The nymph grew pale, and in a mortal fright.
    • mortal enemy
  6. Human; belonging to man, who is mortal.
    mortal wit or knowledge; mortal power
    • Milton
      The voice of God / To mortal ear is dreadful.
  7. Very painful or tedious; wearisome.
    a sermon lasting two mortal hours
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Sir Walter Scott to this entry?)
  8. (Britain, slang) Very drunk; wasted; smashed.
    • 1995, Alan Warner, Morvern Callar, Vintage 2015, p. 13:
      Thats nothing, says Tequila Sheila, who told how the summer she was housemaid in The Saint Columba she took this guy back to the staff flats while mortal on slammers and crashed out on him before anything could happen.

Derived terms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

Noun

mortal ‎(plural mortals)

  1. A human; someone susceptible to death.
    Her wisdom was beyond that of a mere mortal.‎
    • 1596, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream
      Lord what fools these mortals be!
    • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapter1:
      But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Asturian

Adjective

mortal (epicene, plural mortales)

  1. mortal (susceptible to death)
  2. mortal (causing death; deadly; fatal; killing)
  3. deadly (lethal)

Synonyms

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin mortālis.

Adjective

mortal m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural mortals)

  1. mortal
  2. deadly, lethal

Antonyms

Related terms

Noun

mortal m, f ‎(plural mortals)

  1. mortal

Italian

Noun

mortal m f

  1. apocopic form of mortale

Portuguese

Etymology

From Old Portuguese mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors ‎(“death”).

Pronunciation

Adjective

mortal m, f ‎(plural mortais, sometimes comparable)

  1. (not comparable) Susceptible to death; mortal.
  2. (comparable) Prone to cause death; deadly; lethal; fatal.

Inflection

Antonyms

Noun

mortal m f (plural mortais)

  1. A mortal person.

Antonyms

Spanish

Adjective

mortal m, f ‎(plural mortales)

  1. deadly
  2. mortal

Antonyms

Related terms

Etymology

From Middle English mortal, mortel, from Anglo-Norman mortal, Old French mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors ‎(“death”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈmɔːtəl/
  • Rhymes: -ɔː(r)təl

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