01 n. The condition or quality of being mortal; subjection to death or to the necessity of dying.
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1.
The condition or quality of being mortal; subjection to death or to the necessity of dying.“When I saw her die, I then did think on your mortality.” — Carew.
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2.
Human life; the life of a mortal being.“From this instant There 's nothing serious in mortality.” — Shak.
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3.
Those who are, or that which is, mortal; the human race; humanity; human nature.“Take these tears, mortality's relief.” — Pope.
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4.
Death; destruction.
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5.
The whole sum or number of deaths in a given time or a given community; also, the proportion of deaths to population, or to a specific number of the population; death rate; as, a time of great, or low, mortality; the mortality among the settlers was alarming.
Phrases & compounds
Bill of mortality —
See under Bill.
Law of mortality —
a mathematical relation between the numbers living at different ages, so that from a given large number of persons alive at one age, it can be computed what number are likely to survive a given number of years.
Table of mortality —
a table exhibiting the average relative number of persons who survive, or who have died, at the end of each year of life, out of a given number supposed to have been born at the same time.