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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

debt of nature en · NOUN

Meanings

  1. (euphemistic) Death, seen as an obligation that all living creatures must eventually pay.
    • Ten years after he had seen his son married^([sic]), become a church member, and give up his carnal delights, old Deacon Smith paid the debt of nature. His last days he always called his best days. 1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 76:

Relateds

pay the debt of nature