deathwatch

[ deth-woch, -wawch ]

noun

1. a vigil beside a dying or dead person.
2. a guard set over a condemned person before execution.
3. Also called deathwatch beetle. any of several beetles of the family Anobiidae that make a ticking sound as they bore through wood: the sound was once believed to be an omen of death.

deathwatch

/ ˈdɛθˌwɒtʃ /

noun

1. a vigil held beside a dying or dead person
2. deathwatch beetle
   a beetle, Xestobium rufovillosum, whose woodboring larvae are a serious pest. The adult produces a rapid tapping sound with its head that was once popularly supposed to presage death See also anobiid

Word History and Origins

Origin of deathwatch¹

First recorded in 1660–70; death + watch

Example Sentences

Along with decrepit presidents and creepy deathwatches around senators and Supreme Court justices, chaotic clown-show debates over fiscal policy are part of what you get when a democracy becomes a gerontocracy.

From Seattle Times

An attention-grabbing quote, but it's merely punching up an ancient opinion because the deathwatch for "conventional TV," i.e. cable and broadcast, has been going on for decades.

From Salon

Senate leads to other unsavory spectacles, such as the "judicial deathwatch."

From Salon

The Economist says that the Amazon is on “deathwatch. ”

From Washington Post

He said the church was investigating the cause and "how extensive the problem might be because the deathwatch beetle is certainly involved".

From BBC