dead wooddead-woodn.

a. Wood dead upon the tree; the dead branches of fruit trees, or the like; hence figurative. Also (U.S.) in tenpins, a pin that has been knocked down and lies in the alley in front of those remaining. to get, have, possess the dead-wood (U.S. slang); to have one at a disadvantage, secure the advantage.

ΚΠ

1851 L. Clappe Lett. from Calif. (1922) 84 If they ask a man an embarrassing question, or in any way have placed him in an equivocal position, they will triumphantly declare that they have ‘got the dead-wood on him’.

1858 Southern Literary Messenger 27 351/1 He..sent his ball..straight to the left quarter of the Centre-Pin, and never left any dead wood on the alley.

1867 A. D. Richardson Beyond Mississippi xi. 134 ‘The deadwood’—from the game of ‘tenpins’, in which a fallen pin sometimes lies in front of the standing ones so that the first ball striking it will sweep the alley. ‘I have the dead wood on him’ was used familiarly, meaning: ‘I have him in my power.’

1872 C. King Mountaineering in Sierra Nevada x. 211 He considered himself to possess the ‘dead-wood’.

1947 Time 17 Mar. p. i An automatic bowling pin spotter that sets up pins..removes dead wood.. and even calls fouls!

1951 E. S. Gardner Case of Borrowed Brunette xix. 207 Well, they've evidently got the dead-wood on you now, Perry. They know that you took Eva Martell to that rooming-house.

b. dead-wood fence: a fence made of rough logs, fallen branches, etc. Chiefly Australian.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > that which or one who closes or shuts > a barrier > [noun] > hedge or fence > a fence > fence made of logs and saplings

dead-wood fence1813

cockatoo fence1842

1813 J. Taylor Arator 208 They [sc. hogs] are the cause of dead wood fences, which render..labour unproductive.

1852 L. A. Meredith My Home in Tasmania I. x. 157 A ‘dead-wood fence’, that is, a mass of timber four or five feet thick, and five or six high, the lower part being formed of..logs..and the upper portion consisting of the smaller branches skilfully laid over.

1959 in S. J. Baker Drum ii. 103.

2. Nautical. Solid blocks of timber fastened just above the keel at each end of the ship, to strengthen those parts.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > bottom or part under water > [noun] > keel and kelson > keel > strengthening timbers at ends of keel

dead wood1728

rising wood1750

heel piece1869

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Ship [Pl. ii. 119] Dead Wood or Rising.

1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine at Dead-water The dead-wood afore and abaft is equal in depth to two-thirds of the depth of the keel.

1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 187/2 The deadwood, stemson, and other strengthenings.

attributive.1792 Trans. Soc. Arts 10 225 To draw the Kelson and dead-wood bolts out.1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Dead-wood knees, the upper foremost and aftermost pieces of dead wood.

3. figurative. A person or thing regarded as useless or unprofitable; a hindrance or impediment. Also attributive. Originally U.S.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > [noun]

lettingOE

leta1175

marring1357

impediment1398

impeachment1432

unhelpc1449

interruption1463

impeach1511

hindrance1526

prevening1557

offence1578

cross1600

impedition1623

obstructing1641

impede1659

objectiona1667

bottleneck1886

dead wood1887

log-jam1890

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [noun] > that which is useless > useless person or thing

cumber-worldc1374

cumber-house1541

deaf nut1613

cumber-ground1657

dead duck1844

no good1871

dead wood1877

dead wood1887

blue duck1889

dud1897

cluck1904

non-starter1911

dead loss1927

dreep1927

write-off1935

no-gooder1936

nogoodnik1936

blivet1967

roadkill1990

1887 Sci. Amer. 1 Oct. 209/1 The commissioner [of patents] has made some effort..to cut the deadwood out of the examining and clerical forces left him as a legacy by his predecessor.

1903 McClure's Mag. July 326 No dead wood is taken into the concern unless it is through the supposed necessities of family or business relations.

1928 Daily Express 11 Aug. 9/5 These papers do not receive any advertising support from us unless they make a price which we consider is adequate when you cut out their dead-wood circulation.

1929 Daily Tel. 15 Jan. 6/3 Amalgamations of what have hitherto been competing concerns are being formed, the specific objects being to cut out any dead-wood which may be handicapping the smooth working of the machine, to promote efficiency by the pooling of brains and experience.

4. Used attributively as an intensive.

ΚΠ

1876 ‘M. Twain’ Tom Sawyer (1885) xxxv. 306 No! Oh, good licks, are you in real dead-wood earnest, Tom?

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online December 2019).

单词	dead wood
释义	dead wooddead-woodn. 1. a. Wood dead upon the tree; the dead branches of fruit trees, or the like; hence figurative. Also (U.S.) in tenpins, a pin that has been knocked down and lies in the alley in front of those remaining. to get, have, possess the dead-wood (U.S. slang); to have one at a disadvantage, secure the advantage. ΚΠ 1851 L. Clappe Lett. from Calif. (1922) 84 If they ask a man an embarrassing question, or in any way have placed him in an equivocal position, they will triumphantly declare that they have ‘got the dead-wood on him’. 1858 Southern Literary Messenger 27 351/1 He..sent his ball..straight to the left quarter of the Centre-Pin, and never left any dead wood on the alley. 1867 A. D. Richardson Beyond Mississippi xi. 134 ‘The deadwood’—from the game of ‘tenpins’, in which a fallen pin sometimes lies in front of the standing ones so that the first ball striking it will sweep the alley. ‘I have the dead wood on him’ was used familiarly, meaning: ‘I have him in my power.’ 1872 C. King Mountaineering in Sierra Nevada x. 211 He considered himself to possess the ‘dead-wood’. 1947 Time 17 Mar. p. i An automatic bowling pin spotter that sets up pins..removes dead wood.. and even calls fouls! 1951 E. S. Gardner Case of Borrowed Brunette xix. 207 Well, they've evidently got the dead-wood on you now, Perry. They know that you took Eva Martell to that rooming-house. b. dead-wood fence: a fence made of rough logs, fallen branches, etc. Chiefly Australian. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > closed or shut condition > that which or one who closes or shuts > a barrier > [noun] > hedge or fence > a fence > fence made of logs and saplings dead-wood fence1813 cockatoo fence1842 1813 J. Taylor Arator 208 They [sc. hogs] are the cause of dead wood fences, which render..labour unproductive. 1852 L. A. Meredith My Home in Tasmania I. x. 157 A ‘dead-wood fence’, that is, a mass of timber four or five feet thick, and five or six high, the lower part being formed of..logs..and the upper portion consisting of the smaller branches skilfully laid over. 1959 in S. J. Baker Drum ii. 103. 2. Nautical. Solid blocks of timber fastened just above the keel at each end of the ship, to strengthen those parts. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > bottom or part under water > [noun] > keel and kelson > keel > strengthening timbers at ends of keel dead wood1728 rising wood1750 heel piece1869 1728 E. Chambers Cycl. at Ship [Pl. ii. 119] Dead Wood or Rising. 1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine at Dead-water The dead-wood afore and abaft is equal in depth to two-thirds of the depth of the keel. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 187/2 The deadwood, stemson, and other strengthenings. attributive.1792 Trans. Soc. Arts 10 225 To draw the Kelson and dead-wood bolts out.1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Dead-wood knees, the upper foremost and aftermost pieces of dead wood. 3. figurative. A person or thing regarded as useless or unprofitable; a hindrance or impediment. Also attributive. Originally U.S. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > hindrance > [noun] lettingOE leta1175 marring1357 impediment1398 impeachment1432 unhelpc1449 interruption1463 impeach1511 hindrance1526 prevening1557 offence1578 cross1600 impedition1623 obstructing1641 impede1659 objectiona1667 bottleneck1886 dead wood1887 log-jam1890 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [noun] > that which is useless > useless person or thing cumber-worldc1374 cumber-house1541 deaf nut1613 cumber-ground1657 dead duck1844 no good1871 dead wood1877 dead wood1887 blue duck1889 dud1897 cluck1904 non-starter1911 dead loss1927 dreep1927 write-off1935 no-gooder1936 nogoodnik1936 blivet1967 roadkill1990 1887 Sci. Amer. 1 Oct. 209/1 The commissioner [of patents] has made some effort..to cut the deadwood out of the examining and clerical forces left him as a legacy by his predecessor. 1903 McClure's Mag. July 326 No dead wood is taken into the concern unless it is through the supposed necessities of family or business relations. 1928 Daily Express 11 Aug. 9/5 These papers do not receive any advertising support from us unless they make a price which we consider is adequate when you cut out their dead-wood circulation. 1929 Daily Tel. 15 Jan. 6/3 Amalgamations of what have hitherto been competing concerns are being formed, the specific objects being to cut out any dead-wood which may be handicapping the smooth working of the machine, to promote efficiency by the pooling of brains and experience. 4. Used attributively as an intensive. ΚΠ 1876 ‘M. Twain’ Tom Sawyer (1885) xxxv. 306 No! Oh, good licks, are you in real dead-wood earnest, Tom? This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1894; most recently modified version published online December 2019). > as lemmas dead wood d. Specifically used of that which has died of itself, instead of being killed or cut down when alive, as in dead shell (of a mollusc), dead wood, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > [noun] > that which is useless > useless person or thing cumber-worldc1374 cumber-house1541 deaf nut1613 cumber-ground1657 dead duck1844 no good1871 dead wood1877 dead wood1887 blue duck1889 dud1897 cluck1904 non-starter1911 dead loss1927 dreep1927 write-off1935 no-gooder1936 nogoodnik1936 blivet1967 roadkill1990 1877 Encycl. Brit. VI. 539 Dead shells appear in some cases to be thus employed, but..in most..the [Hermit] crab kills the mollusk in order to secure its shell. extracted from deadadj.n.adv. dead wood g. dead wood: see as main entry. extracted from woodn.¹ < n.1728 as lemmas
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dead wooddead-woodn.

> as lemmas