The AI-powered English dictionary
plural corpses
A dead body. examples
(archaic, sometimes derogatory) A human body in general, whether living or dead.
third-person singular simple present corpses, present participle corpsing, simple past and past participle corpsed
(intransitive, slang, of an actor) To laugh uncontrollably during a performance. quotations
The rest of the day and the week were spent blocking and learning the lines. The only drama was the predictable one of being ticked off for corpsing. Rupert was quite as bad as me when it came to giggling and the tea-party scene which took place between Rupert, David Parfitt, Piers Flint-Shipman and I, was too much.
1989, Kenneth Branagh, Beginning, London: Chatto & Windus, page 94
There were still moments when she would halt suddenly, like an actor stranded in the middle of the stage, lines forgotten, staring goggle-eyed and making fish-mouths...Corpsing: that was the word.
1993, John Banville, Ghosts
Poor Damian corpsed and almost forgot his next lines. The director gave him a terrific lecture, and Alan caught hell from stage management.
1993, Bevan Amberhill, The Bloody Man, Mercury Press
(transitive, slang, of an actor) To cause another actor to do this.