die¹ / dī/ • v. (dy·ing / ˈdīing/ ) [intr.] 1. (of a person, animal, or plant) stop living: she died of cancer | the sheep died from the heat | [tr.] the king died a violent death. ∎  (die for) be killed for (a cause): they were prepared to die for their country. ∎  have a specified status at the time of one's death: the inventor died a pauper. ∎  (die out) become extinct: many species died out. ∎  be forgotten: her genius has assured her name will never die. ∎  become less loud or strong: after a while, the noise died down | at last the storm died away. ∎  (die back) (of a plant) decay from the tip toward the root: rhubarb dies back to a crown of buds each winter. ∎  (die off) die one after another until few or none are left: the original founders died off or retired. ∎  be no longer under the influence of something: we died to our former selves. ∎  (of a fire or light) stop burning or gleaming. ∎ inf. (of a machine) stop functioning: three toasters have died on me. ∎ poetic/lit. have an orgasm.2. inf. used to emphasize that one wants to do or have something very much: they must be dying for a drink | he's dying to meet you. ∎ inf. used to emphasize how keenly one feels something: I'm simply dying of thirst.3. inf. used to emphasize feelings of shock, embarrassment, amusement, or misery: I nearly died when I saw them we nearly died laughing when he told us.PHRASES: die hard disappear or change very slowly: old habits die hard.die on the vine be unsuccessful at an early stage.never say die used to encourage someone in a difficult situation.to die for inf. extremely good or desirable: the ice cream is to die for.die² • n. 1. singular form of dice. ∎  Archit. the cubical part of a pedestal between the base and the cornice; a dado or plinth.2. (pl. dies) a device for cutting or molding metal into a particular shape. ∎  an engraved device for stamping a design on coins or medals.PHRASES: the die is cast an event has happened or a decision has been made that cannot be changed. (as) straight as a die absolutely straight.

die die hard disappear or change very slowly; the expression seems to have been used first in the 18th century of criminals who died resisting to the last on the Tyburn gallows in London. At the battle of Albuera in 1811 during the Peninsular War, the commander of the British 57th Regiment of Foot exhorted his men to ‘die hard’; as a result of their heroism, the Regiment was nicknamed the Die-hards. The term was later applied to political groups particularly resistant to change.
die in harness die before retirement.
you can only die once used to encourage someone in a dangerous or difficult enterprise; recorded from the mid 15th century.

See also eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die, whom the gods love die young, the good die young, young men may die.

die 1 cease to live. XII. ME. de(i)ʒen, deye, pt. de(i)ʒede, deide, of disputed orig.: two hypotheses are admissible:
i. that the ME. forms repr. unrecorded OE. *dīeġan, *dēġan = OS. dōian, OHG. touwen (MHG. töuwen), ON. deyja :- Gmc. *dawjan, f. *daw-, repr. also in DEAD, DEATH, and Goth. afdauips vexed, rel. by gradation to diwans mortal, undiwanei immortality; but it is more likely

ii. that the ME. forms were immed. — ON. deyja. In OE. the words for ‘die’ were steorfan (see STARVE), sweltan (see SWELTER), or wesan dēad, pt. wæs dēad (‘be, was dead’).

die 2 pl. DICE cube used in games of chance. XIII. ME. dē, dee, pl. dēs, dees — OF, dé, pl. dés :- L. (Rom.) datum, sb. use of n. pp. of dare give, spec. play.

die.
1. Dado.

2. Abacus.