water given to a dying person
Refers to the ritual of moistening the lips of a dying person with water, often performed by close family. The phrase 死に水を取る means to perform this final act of care.
At the very end, my mother gave my father the last water on his lips.
He was far away and couldn't be there to give his parent the last water.
Standard kanji spelling; the okurigana makes the reading clear.
Abbreviated kanji form; less common and may be misread as しすい.
Compound of 死に (stem of 死ぬ, 'to die') + 水 ('water'). The exact historical origin of the ritual is uncertain, but the term is well-established in Japanese funeral customs.