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crib death
noun
variants
US crib death
or British cot death
: death of a baby while sleeping that occurs for no known reason : sudden infant death syndrome
… in the conditions of early modern Europe, crib death was all too real.—Simon Schama
Examples of crib death in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grief ripped the family apart in 1976 when Marlon’s baby brother Tara died of crib death at 10 weeks old.
—Marissa Charles, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
In the 1960s and early ’70s, Dr. Bergman was president of the National Foundation for Sudden Infant Death, a grass-roots group that supported parents who had lost children to what once was commonly called crib death.
—Trip Gabriel, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Most of the time, SIDS, sometimes called crib death, happens during sleep.
—Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
It is pronounced a crib death (what would come to be called SIDS).
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 30 May 2023
After his baby sister’s crib death, the grieving family returned to Ireland on a steamboat.
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2023
Death typically occurs during sleep and is sometimes known as crib death.
—Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2023
The niece had lost an infant daughter to crib death and was distraught, so Ms. Dussourd took custody of the boys.
—New York Times, 3 June 2019
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2016 advice that babies should sleep in the same room as their parents, in a separate bed, for 6 to 12 months, to guard against crib death, can make sleeping harder for all.
—Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, 28 Aug. 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crib death.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1944, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near crib death
Cite this Entry
“Crib death.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crib%20death. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
crib death
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on crib death
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crib death
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