mort

1. Struck dumb, insensible, or motionless with fear or confusion. His speech was full of such fire and anger that I was rendered all-a-mort for a few moments afterward. Our father's announcement that he was resigning from the company left us all-a-mort. We were both all-a-mort when we noticed the alligator approaching the banks of the river.

2. In a dying or half-dead state; depressed or dejected, as in one who feels half dead. Possibly a corruption of "alamort," meaning the same, or a reference to a "mort," the sound from a hunter's horn to signal the death of an animal being hunted. I'm all-a-mort these past two days; I know not if I shall live beyond the week. That four-hour hike was so exhausting. I felt all-a-mort by the time we got back to the car. I was all-a-mort for a while there, but starting therapy and seeing a psychiatrist has really helped.

1. obsolete A woman who is married. "Autem" is an obsolete slang word for church, and "mort" is obsolete slang for a woman or girl. Your courtship is wasted, my friend, for she is an autem mort already. I hope you're enjoying life as an autem mort, since you haven't been married that long! They can call me a spinster, I don't care. I've just never had any interest in becoming an autem mort.

2. obsolete A beggar woman who carries about several children and affects to have great devotion to the church or religion, generally as a means of arousing sympathetic charity from others. "Autem" is an obsolete slang word for church, and "mort" is obsolete slang for a woman or girl. The autem morts with their wailing children cluster at the steps of the church for alms. Just walk past—she's an autem mort who always hangs around here looking for money. She insists she had to become an autem mort after her husband died, but I'm pretty sure he left her a sizable chunk of money—that she must have spent.