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Distinguishing Between Core and Corps and Corpse and Corp
These words are frequently confused despite their very different applications. Core and corps both rhyme with more. Core can be a noun, verb, or adjective, but is most often used as a noun to refer to the central or most important part of something (“the core of the issue,” “the Earth’s core”) or to the usually inedible central part of a fruit (“an apple core”). Corps has several meanings, all of which refer to some kind of group: “the Marine Corps,” “the press corps.” Its plural form is also spelled corps (“two corps of reporters”) but is pronounced just as cores is. Unlike in corps, The “p” in corpse and corp is pronounced. Corpse refers to a dead body, and especially to the dead body of a human. Corp is an abbreviation for “corporation” and “corporal.” Corp, corps, and corpse all trace back to the Latin word corpus, meaning “body.” The origin of core is obscure.
Examples of corpse in a Sentence
David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 May 2025
Every morning, prisoners lined up for inspection alongside the corpses of those who had died in the night heaped in a pile next to them.
—Paul Hockenos, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 May 2025
Eventually, the corpse became a traveling attraction, appearing in carnivals, museums, and even as a prop in films, until it was discovered hanging in a California amusement park in 1976.
—Dave Quinn, People.com, 7 May 2025
Anthony Fields, 54, and Kurth Conaway, 34, are charged with abuse of a corpse, according to court records.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for corpse
Cite this Entry
“Corpse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corpse. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
corpse
nounMiddle English corps "human body," from early French corps (same meaning), from Latin corpus "body"
Medical Definition
corpse
noun
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