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Definition

To die.

To break down such that it cannot be repaired.

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Origins

There are many theories as to where this idiom comes from, but the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) suggests the following: * A person standing on a pail or bucket with their head in a slip noose would kick the bucket so as to commit suicide. The OED, however, says that this is mainly speculative; * An archaic use of bucket was a beam from which a pig is hung by its feet prior to being slaughtered, and to kick the bucket originally signified the pig's death throes. The OED finds this a more plausible theory. Another theory is given by Roman Catholic Bishop Abbot Horne.

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In Context

  • "The old horse finally kicked the bucket."
  • "My posthumous book Allegorizings, which will go to press in London and New York the minute I kick the bucket, is loosely governed by my growing conviction that almost nothing in life is only what it seems. It contains nothing revelatory at all."
  • "I think my sewing machine has kicked the bucket."
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Also Said As

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See Also

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Related Idioms

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kick out

To eject, dismiss, expel, or forcefully remove (someone or something).

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kick off

To start; to launch; to set in motion.

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kick in

To begin, contribute or join in on.

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kick ass

To win decisively.

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kick back

To relax; to laze.

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kick the habit

To recover from or quit an addiction or habit.
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