Death Dictionary

CauseDefinition
Abortiveaborted pregnancy; see also miscarriage and still-born
Ageddeath by natural causes of old age
Aguechills and fever; often from malaria
Apoplexyrupture of an internal organ, especially the brain
Asthmachronic inflamation of the airways, making it difficult to breathe
Beaten
Bed-riddenconfined to bed through sickness or infirmity
Blasted
Bleeding
Bloody-fluxbloody diarrhea, esp. from dysentery
Burnt
Calentureprobably heat stroke or sunstroke
Cancerper OED: Originally: any of various types of non-healing sore or ulcer (cf. canker); In later use (chiefly as mass noun): spec. malignant neoplastic disease, in which there is an uncontrolled proliferation of cells, typically with invasion and destruction of adjacent normal tissue, and often with metastatic spread to distant parts of the body via lymphatics or blood vessels; an instance of this, a malignant tumor.
Child-Beddeath during childbirth
Chrisomsinfant deaths under one month old
Coldassorted viral, respiratory illnesses believed to be caused by a humoreal imbalance (too much coldness)
Colicksevere stomach pain due to issue with bowels
Consumptionwasting disease, esp. tuberculosis
Convulsion
Cough
Cramp
Diabetes
Distractedcoded language for suicide/accidental death due to mental illness
Dropsieswelling of tissue due to accumulation of excess water, sign of organ failure
Drowned
Executed
Falling-sicknessepileptic seizures
Fever
Fistulaabnormal connection between two organs
Floxhemorrhagic smallpox
Fluxdiarrhea, esp. from dysentery
Frightedfrightened to death
French-Poxsyphilis
Gangreendeath of body tissue b/c lack of blood flow or bacterial infection
Gouturate crystals accumulating in joints
Griefdied of grief
Griping in the Gutssudden intense pain in the intestines, diarrhoea
Gripesintestinal pain
Headache
Headmouldshot
Hiccough
Hooping Coughwhooping cough
Horshoehead
Impostumebacterial abscess
Infantsdeath of a child over a month old but still in infancy
Inflammation
Itch
Jaundiesliver disease, causes yellowing of skin and eyes
Jaw-fallen
Killed
Kings Eviltubercular infection of throat lymph glands/tuberculosis lymphadenitis
Leprosieleprosy
Lethargyunnatural drowsiness
Liver-grownswollen liver
Lunatickdeath of someone with mental illness; see also 'distracted'
Looseness
Lunatick and Frenzy
Malignant Fever
Meagrim
Measles
Miscarriageaborted pregnancy; see also abortive and still-born
Mortification
Mother
Murtheredmurdered
Noli me tangere
Overlaidaccidental smothering of an infant by rolling over them in sleep
Palsieparalysis, weakness, or other problems using muscles, including tremors
Plaguedisease caused by y. pestis
Planet
Plurisieinflammation of tissue lining the lungs
Purplesany disease causing a dark red or purple rash
Quinsiecomplication of tonsillitis, infection spreads beyond tonsils
Rash
Rheumatism
Ricketsweakening of bones b/c of prolonged vitamin D deficiency
Rising of the Lightsdifficulty breathing or a choking sensation
Running of the Reinsgonorrhea or other sexually transmitted infection (sometimes including syphilis)
Rupturehernia
Scald Head
Scaldedburnt by hot water
Scarlet Fever
Sciatica
Scowringpurging bowels?
Scurvydisease caused by vitamin C deficiency
Shingles
Smallpoxinfectious disease; flu-like symptoms, rash which spreads from face to trunk
Sores
Spleen
Spotted-Feverper OED: 1623-; any of various febrile dsieases characterized by the appearance of (esp. petechial or purpuric) spots on the skin, as meningococcal meningitis and typhus; (now) spec. any of a group of tick-borne diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia
St. Anthony's Fire
Starved
Still-bornchild born lifeless or with a heartbeat but failing to breathe
Stoneconcretion in the body, esp. kidneys, bladder or gallbladder
Stopping of the Stomach
Stranguryslow and painful urination
Strongullion
Suddenlysudden death with no other attributable cause
Suicide
Surfeitexcess of food or drink
Swelling in the Throat
Swine-Pox
Teeth
Thrushwhite specks inside the mouth and throat, also lips and tongue
Tympanyper OED: sometimes used vaguely for a morbid swelling or tumour of any kind; cross-linked to entry on tympanites which is distention of the abdomen by gas or air in the intestine, the peritoneal cavity, or the uterus
Tissickper OED: coughing or wheezing; any of various diseases characterized by this, esp. asthma or bronchitis. Also: a tickling cough; a fit of coughing or wheezing; cross-referenced to phthisis which is a wasting disease, esp. one involving the lungs; spec. tuberculosis
Twisting of the Guts
Ulcer
Vapours
Vomiting
Water in the Head
Wen
Wind
Wolf
Worms
Wounded