1. Dead wood, including fallen or standing trees, branches, and stumps.

2. One or more people or things considered as burdensome, superfluous, or serving no useful purpose: Management fired all the deadwood in the department as a cost-saving measure.

3. also dead wood Sports Fallen bowling pins that remain on the alley.

4. Nautical A timber or set of timbers helping to connect the keel of a vessel to the stem or the sternpost.