noun
corpses floating in water; waterlogged dead bodies
Poetic term for dead bodies submerged or floating in water, especially in the context of war or naval battles. Evokes a classical, literary tone.
海戦の後、水漬く屍が波間に漂っていた。
After the naval battle, waterlogged corpses drifted among the waves.
古戦場の沖には、今も水漬く屍が沈んでいるという。
It is said that even now, waterlogged bodies lie sunken off the coast of the ancient battlefield.
Compound of 水漬く (mizuku, classical verb meaning 'to be soaked in water') + 屍 (kabane, 'corpse'). The reading みづく is a historical kana usage (historical づ for modern ず).