The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mortal \Mor"tal\, a. [F. mortel, L. mortalis, from mors, mortis, death, fr. moriri 8die; akin to E. murder. See Murder, and cf. Filemot, Mere a lake, Mortgage.]
Subject to death; destined to die; as, man is mortal.
Destructive to life; causing or occasioning death; terminating life; exposing to or deserving death; deadly; as, a mortal wound; a mortal sin.
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Fatally vulnerable; vital.
Last of all, against himself he turns his sword, but missing the mortal place, with his poniard finishes the work.
--Milton. -
Of or pertaining to the time of death.
Safe in the hand of one disposing Power, Or in the natal or the mortal hour.
--Pope. -
Affecting as if with power to kill; deathly.
The nymph grew pale, and in a mortal fright.
--Dryden. -
Human; belonging to man, who is mortal; as, mortal wit or knowledge; mortal power.
The voice of God To mortal ear is dreadful.
--Milton. -
Very painful or tedious; wearisome; as, a sermon lasting two mortal hours. [Colloq.]
--Sir W. Scott.Mortal foe, Mortal enemy, an inveterate, desperate, or implacable enemy; a foe bent on one's destruction.
Usage examples of "mortal foe".
In one of these pious visits to the cavern of Mount Garganus in Apulia, which had been sanctified by the apparition of the archangel Michael, ^18 they were accosted by a stranger in the Greek habit, but who soon revealed himself as a rebel, a fugitive, and a mortal foe of the Greek empire.
She wore a golden torc, the gift of the Firvulag, who had formed a shaky alliance with the Lowlives against their mortal foe, the Tanu.
His terror flashed like spits of lightning, and the oncoming demon turned his bowels to water as no mortal foe ever had.
All realized that they were set upon not by a mortal foe but by wicked demons.
Go thou again, said Sir Tristram, and bid him arise, and tell him that I am here, his mortal foe.
So Gouvernail rode again and put upon him the butt of his spear, and said: Sir Palamides, make thee ready, for wit ye well Sir Tristram hoveth yonder, and sendeth thee word he is thy mortal foe.
Although the Midkemian himself felt warmed that his Lady had dared to turn his influence upon her thinking into public policy, he wondered with concern whether she had yet again won many new allies at the price of creating another mortal foe.