# brain death

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. An irreversible loss of brain function and cessation of brain activity.

## Etymology
Coined by the Harvard physician Henry K. Beecher in the historical context of the Sixties counterculture and life extension technology of the late twentieth century.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/brain-death