1. small wood-boring beetles that make ticking sounds, traditionally believed to foretell death
Usage: folklore
2. vigils kept beside a dying or dead person
Usage: formal

Examples

• The old house was infested with deathwatches that kept the family awake at night.
• Superstitious villagers feared the sound of deathwatches in the walls.
• The deathwatch beetle’s ticking echoed through the wooden beams.
• Family members took turns during the deathwatches throughout the long night.
• Traditional deathwatches involved prayers and quiet reflection.
• The community gathered for deathwatches when someone was gravely ill.