A destructive or fatal relationship or action, undertaken with seemingly good intentions. The term refers to the betrayal of Jesus by his disciple, Judas Iscariot, who pointed out Jesus to his enemies by kissing him (Matthew 26:47–49). Although the term Judas kiss signified such a betrayal from the sixteenth century, the current cliché dates only from about 1940 and does not necessarily signify treason or disloyalty. For example, publishing an attractive gift book too late to take advantage of Christmas sales might be said to give it the kiss of death—that is, the poor timing will result in significantly fewer copies being sold.