Relating to the process of dying or the moment of death, so called because of the former erroneous notion that dying is a painful process.
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ag·o·nal 'ag-ən-əl adj of, relating to, or associated with agony and esp. the death agony <chemical changes in the blood during the \agonal state (Jour. Amer. Med. Assoc.)>
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adj.
describing or relating to the phenomena, such as cessation of breathing or change in the ECG or EEG, that are associated with the moment of death.
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ag·o·nal (agґə-nəl) pertaining to or occurring at the time just before death.Medical dictionary. 2011.