Definitions

rigor mortis

[rig-er mawr-tis, rahy-gawr] / ˈrɪg ər ˈmɔr tɪs, ˈraɪ gɔr /

NOUN

stiffening at death

Synonyms

WEAK

death rattle muscular stiffening swan song

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The inquest was told rigor mortis - the stiffening of the body after death - had set in.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

The breath stops, the heart stops, the brain stops and rigor mortis soon appears.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2023

Amid the war dead lies a horse on its back, presumably in a state of rigor mortis but better resembling a house pet in need of a belly rub.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2023

The paramedics were called into a room where the lead nurse was performing CPR on a dead man with rigor mortis.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2023

It was the same technique we used at the chevra kadisha, when working on a corpse afflicted by rigor mortis.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros