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thanatopsis. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
thanatopsis, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
thanatopsis in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
thanatopsis you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Ancient Greek θάνατος (thánatos, “death”) + ὄψις (ópsis, “seeing”), via the poem "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant. Although a surface analysis of thanato- + -opsis readily suggests itself and might invite a semantic expectation of deathliness, Bryant's sense of the word corresponds to "the seeing of death" rather than "the appearance/likeness of death".
Pronunciation
Noun
thanatopsis (plural thanatopses)
- Contemplation of death.