What constitutes a "death effect?"

[Damon Griffin]

I find a number of references to death effects in the rules, but cannot seem to find a definition. Does any spell with the [death] descriptor count as a death effect? The assassin's death attack ability? Where is this spelled out?

[Entryhazard]

All the death effects are the spells with the [death] descriptor and the abilities that explicitly say to be death effects. Everything else that can kill you on the spot but doesn't have those two properties isn't a death effect.

[Archaeik]

Death effects are typically ones that bypass hit points to cause instant death. Most of them explicitly say they are.

Death Attacks

The Assassin's Death Attack(Ex) class feature should probably count as a "death effect" when used to kill rather than paralyze, but keep in mind that some abilities that protect against death, such as death ward specify "magical death effects"