at death's door

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at death's door

very near the end of one's life. (Often an exaggeration.) I was so ill that I was at death's door for three days. The family dog was at death's door for three days, and then it finally died.

See also: door

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Accompanied by the lightest of porters, fit colourless servitor at Death's door when Mrs. Hard Times by Dickens, Charles View in context There is a lake down there below us, and anyone who bathes in it, though he were at death's door, becomes sound and well on the spot, and those who wash their eyes with the dew on this hill become as sharp-sighted as the eagle, even if they have been blind from their youth. The Yellow Fairy Book by Lang, Andrew View in context Bulstrode did not answer immediately, and she continued, "It's not a time to spare when people are at death's door, nor would you wish it, sir, I'm sure. Middlemarch by Eliot, George View in context			at a pinch at a premium at a price at a push at a rate of knots at a set time at a sitting at a snail's pace at a stretch at a time at all costs at all hours at all times at an early date at an end at any cost at any price at any rate at bay at beck and call at best at close range at convenience at cross purposes at cross-purposes at death's door at doorstep at each other's throats at earliest convenience at ease at elbow at every turn at expense at face value at fault at fingertips at first at first blush at first glance at first hand at first light at first sight at full blast at full speed at full strength at full stretch at great length at half-mast at hand at hazard at heart			AT bus architecture At call At call At Change of Shift At City Shop for Repairs AT class at close quarters at close quarters at close quarters at close quarters at close quarters at close range at close range At cock AT command AT command AT command AT command AT Command Interpreter AT command set at convenience at convenience at convenience at cross purposes at cross purposes at cross-purposes at cross-purposes at cross-purposes at daggers drawn at daggers drawn at death's door At Deaths Door At discovert At discretion at disposal at disposal at disposal at doorstep at each other's throats at earliest convenience at earliest convenience at earliest convenience at ease at ease at ease at ease at ease at elbow at elbow at elbow at elbow at elbow At erst at every corner at every corner at every corner at every corner at every turn at every turn at every turn at every turn

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