deadˈly adjective

1. Causing death
2. Fatal
3. Implacable
4. Very great (informal)

adverb

1. In a manner resembling death
2. Extremely (informal)

deadˈness noun

dead air noun

An unintentional and undesirable period of silence during a radio broadcast

deadˈ-aliveˈ or deadˈ-and-aliveˈ adjective

Dull, inactive

dead-ball line noun (rugby)

A line marked out behind the goal-line at each end of the pitch, beyond which the ball is out of play

deadˈbeat noun (informal)

1. A down-and-out
2. A lazy person
3. One who does not pay debts (US)

dead-beatˈ adjective (informal)

Quite overcome, exhausted

dead-beat escapement noun

A clock escapement in which there is no recoil to the escape wheel

deadˈ-bolt or deadˈ-lock noun

One moved by turning the key or knob without intervention of a spring

deadˈ-born adjective

Stillborn

deadˈ-cart noun

A cart for collecting the bodies of those who died of a pestilence

dead-cat bounce noun (stock exchange sl)

A temporary recovery of share prices following a sharp fall, not indicative of a true upturn but merely caused by some reinvestment by speculators who had already sold shares

dead centre noun

1. In a reciprocating engine or pump, either of the positions, at top and bottom of a piston stroke, at which the crank and connecting rod are in line and there is no actual turning effect (usu top or bottom dead centre)
2. A non-rotating centre in the tailstock of a lathe

dead cert noun (slang)

Something absolutely certain, eg a certain winner in a horse race

deadˈ-clothes plural noun

Clothes to bury the dead in

deadˈ-colˈouring noun

The first broad outlines of a picture

deadˈ-deal noun

A board for measuring and lifting a corpse

deadˈ-doˈing adjective (Spenser)

Putting to death, destructive

dead drop same as dead-letter box below.

dead duck noun (informal)

A plan, idea or person, etc that has no chance of success or survival

dead end noun

1. A pipe, passage, etc closed at one end
2. A blind alley (lit and figurative)

dead-endˈ adjective

Leading nowhere (lit and figurative)

deadˈeye noun

1. A round, flattish wooden block with a rope or iron band passing around it, and pierced with three holes for a lanyard (nautical)
2. An unerring marksman

deadˈ-fall noun

A trap with a weight that falls when its support is removed

deadˈ-finˈish noun (Aust)

1. A thicket or a thicket-forming shrub of the mimosa family (genus Albizia or Acacia)
2. A complete standstill or vanquishment

deadˈ-fire noun

An appearance of fire taken as an omen of death

deadˈ-freight noun

Money paid for the empty space in a ship by a person who engages to freight her, but fails to make out a full cargo

deadˈ-ground noun (military)

Ground that cannot be covered by fire

dead hand noun

1. A persisting oppressive influence
2. Mortmain

deadˈ-head or deadˈhead noun

1. A person who enjoys privileges without paying, eg a seat in a theatre, etc
2. An ineffective, unproductive person
3. A sprue (see sprue¹)

transitive verb

To remove the withered heads of (flowers), in order to encourage further growth

dead heat noun

1. A heat or race in which two or more competitors are equal
2. The result of this, a tie

dead-heatˈ intransitive verb

deadˈhouse noun

A mortuary

dead language noun

One no longer spoken

deadˈ-lettˈer noun

1. A letter undelivered and unclaimed at the post-office
2. A law or ordinance made but not enforced

dead-letter box or dead-letter drop noun

A place where secret messages, etc may be left for later collection

deadˈ-lift or deadˈ-pull noun

1. A lift or pull made without help or leverage, etc
2. Hence an effort under discouraging conditions

deadˈlights plural noun

1. Storm-shutters for a cabin window
2. Thick windows in a ship's side or deck

deadˈline noun

1. Closing date, last possible time
2. Orig a line in a military prison, on going beyond which a prisoner was liable to be shot

dead load noun

The weight of a structure, vehicle, etc itself without any burden

deadˈlock noun

1. The case when matters have become so complicated that all is at a complete standstill
2. See also dead-bolt above

intransitive verb and transitive verb

To reach or bring to a standstill because of difficulties, etc

dead loss noun

1. A complete loss
2. A useless ally or endeavour (figurative)

deadˈ-levˈel noun

1. A stretch of land without any rising ground
2. Sameness

deadly nightshade noun

Belladonna

deadly sin noun

A mortal sin (see under seven)

dead man's handle noun

A device, eg on an electric train, which allows current to pass only so long as there is pressure on it

dead man's pedal noun

A foot-operated safety device on the same principle, used esp on diesel trains

dead march noun

A piece of solemn music played at funeral processions, esp of soldiers

deadˈ-meat noun

The flesh of animals ready for the market

dead men plural noun (informal)

Empty bottles after a party or drinking bout

dead-men's bells noun

The foxglove

dead men's fingers plural noun

1. A type of soft coral, a very common actinozoan coelenterate (Alcyonium digitatum)
2. The poisonous parts of a crab or other edible shellfish (informal)

deadˈ-nettle noun

Any species of Lamium, labiate plants superficially like nettles but stingless

dead-onˈ adjective (informal)

Accurate, spot-on (see also dead on below)

deadˈpan noun

1. An expressionless face
2. A person having or assuming such a face

adjective

1. Expressionless
2. Emotionless
3. Completely serious or mock serious

adverb

In a deadpan manner

deadˈ-pay noun

Continued pay dishonestly drawn for men who are actually dead

dead point noun

Another (eg engineering) name for dead centre above

deadˈ-reckˈoning noun

An estimation of a ship's or aircraft's place simply by the logbook

dead ringer noun (slang)

A person who, or a thing that, looks exactly like someone or something else

deadˈ-rope noun

A rope not running in any block

Dead Sea apple or Dead Sea fruit noun

Another name for

apple of Sodom (see under apple).

deadˈ-setˈ noun

1. A complete standstill, as of a gun dog pointing at game
2. A determined and prolonged onslaught, esp with a view to captivation

adjective

Absolutely determined

dead shot noun

An unerring marksman

dead's part noun (Scots law)

The part of a person's moveable property which may be bequeathed by will, and which is not due to spouse and children

dead spit noun (informal)

An exact likeness

deadˈstock noun

Farm equipment

deadˈstroke adjective

Without recoil

dead tree edition noun (comput sl)

A paper version of material also available electronically

deadˈ-wall noun

A wall unbroken by windows or other openings

deadˈ-waˈter noun

1. Still water
2. Eddy water closing in behind a ship's stern

deadˈ-weightˈ noun

1. Unrelieved weight
2. Heavy and oppressive burden
3. Difference in a ship's displacement loaded and light

dead white European male noun (informal)

Any of the writers, philosophers, etc traditionally studied and seen by some as representing an excessively Eurocentric and masculine view of culture

deadˈ-wind noun

1. Calm (in the vortex of a storm)
2. Headwind (obsolete)

dead wood or deadˈ-wood noun

1. Pieces of timber laid on the upper side of the keel at either end
2. Useless material or personnel

deadˈ-work noun

Work, itself unprofitable, but necessary as a preliminary

be dead meat (informal)

To be in very serious trouble

dead against see dead set against below.

dead as a dodo, as a doornail, as a herring or as mutton

Absolutely dead

dead drunk

Helplessly drunk

dead from the neck up (informal)

Impenetrably stupid

dead in the water

1. (of a ship) without the power to move
2. Unable to make progress or succeed (figurative)

dead men's shoes

Succession to someone who dies

dead on

(used of time, musical notes, etc) exact or exactly

dead set see under set

dead set against or dead against

Utterly opposed to

dead to the world (informal)

1. Very soundly asleep
2. Unconscious

I, etc wouldn't be seen dead (informal)

I, etc would make sure never to be seen

leave for dead

1. To abandon, presuming dead
2. To surpass spectacularly (informal)

over my dead body (informal)

When I am beyond caring, and not until then

put the dead wood on (slang)

To gain a great advantage over

the dead

Those who are dead