die (1)

die or dye? Do not confuse the spelling of die and dye, which sound similar. Die is a verb meaning "stop living or existing": Her mother died last year. The sound died away. There is also a noun spelled die, which is used in the saying the die is cast and which denotes a small cube used in games, a mold, or a stamping or cutting tool. Dye is a noun or verb referring to a substance used to change the color of something, as in vegetable dyes, to dye your hair, a dyed-in-the-wool conservative. Note also that the present participle of die is spelled dying, whereas the present participle of dye is spelled dyeing.

A person can die of an illness, or die in an earthquake or a fire. In careful usage, die from is reserved for indirect causes of death, e.g., refusal to leave a flooded area or failure to wear a seat belt: The study found that people with the lowest cholesterol levels were more likely to die from tragic causes, such as car crashes or suicide.