dead or alive

English

Etymology

From usage in wanted posters in the 19th century American West and, especially in popular drama about the American West in that period.

Adjective

dead or alive (not comparable)

1. Either dead or alive.
2. Used to indicate someone is being sought for some kind of punishment or reprimand, and that (s)he may be killed in the process of finding, as if this was reasonable punishment.

Derived terms

• wanted dead or alive

Translations

wanted poster term

• Arabic: حَيّ أَوْ مَيِّت (ḥayy ʔaw mayyit)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 活要见人死要见尸 (huó yào jiàn rén sǐ yào jiàn shī)

• Finnish: elävänä tai kuolleena
• French: mort ou vif (fr)
• German: tot oder lebendig
• Hungarian: élve vagy halva (hu)
• Icelandic: dauður eða lifandi, lífs eða liðinn
• Italian: vivo o morto
• Polish: żywy czy martwy
• Romanian: viu sau mort

See also

• more dead than alive

See also

• Dead or Alive on Wikipedia.Wikipedia