ψόφος

Like ψεῦδος (pseûdos) and ψύθος (psúthos), it may originally be onomatopoeic and somehow belong with the interjection ψό (psó). Alternatively, Petersson derives the word from Proto-Indo-European *bʰes-, like ψύχω (psúkhō, “to breathe, blow”).

ψόφος • (psóphos) m (genitive ψόφου); second declension

1. sounds or noises not produced by the human voice: clattering, rattling, knocking, crashing

• Greek: ψόφος (psófos)

• “ψόφος”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “ψόφος”, in Liddell & Scott (1889) An Intermediate Greek–English Lexicon, New York: Harper & Brothers
• ψόφος in Bailly, Anatole (1935) Le Grand Bailly: Dictionnaire grec-français, Paris: Hachette
• Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

• IPA^(key): /ˈpso.fos/
• Hyphenation: ψό‧φος

Inherited from Byzantine Greek ψόφος (psóphos, “loud noise”), from Ancient Greek ψοφῶ (psophô, “to make loud noise”). The senses, since mediaeval times.^[1] Also see ψοφάω (psofáo).

ψόφος • (psófos) m (plural ψόφοι) (usually in the singular)

1. (colloquial) death (especially for animals)
2. (colloquial) freezing cold, chill

   Κάνει ψόφο έξω!

   Kánei psófo éxo!

   It's freezing cold outside!

• (death): θάνατος m (thánatos), θανατικό n (thanatikó)
• (freezing cold): ψοφόκρυο m (psofókryo), παγωνιά f (pagoniá)

• κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει (kakó skylí psófo den échei, “a creaking door hangs longest”) (literally, 'a bad dog doesn't have death')
• κακό ψόφο να 'χεις (kakó psófo na 'cheis, “may you perish badly!”)

• see: ψοφάω (psofáo, “I die off”)

Learnedly, from Ancient Greek ψόφος (psóphos), from ψό (psó, “pshaw! interjection of contempt and disgust”), of uncertain etymon.

ψόφος • (psófos) m (plural ψόφοι)

1. (physiology, medicine or obsolete) noise ^[2]

   μυϊκός ψόφος ― myïkós psófos ― muscular noise

Not related to medicine or physiology:

• θόρυβος m (thóryvos, “noise”)
• φασαρία f (fasaría, “noise”)