deadhead
/ˈdɛdhɛd
/noun
1British A faded flower head.So be sure to cut long stems on both cut flowers and deadheads; that way, the thick canes that sprout from the leaf axil will be strong enough to support the weight of the new flower....
- Research from the Royal National Rose Society has shown that just pulling off the deadheads of roses rather than cutting back leads to more repeat flowering.
- I also like to remove deadheads or seed-heads that weigh down the plant's foliage.
2 informal A boring or unenterprising person: you’re just a deadhead...
- When I was in high school, the students fell into many different groups: preps, jocks, cheerleaders, punks, deadheads, druggies, geeks, and all the rest.
- I've been writing about Wez in my journal lately, the deadhead who lives downstairs from me and Adam.
- The idea that liberalism is something confined to a few deadheads on the coasts is a shibboleth.
3chiefly North American A passenger or member of an audience with a free ticket.I just wanted to let you all know we have announced our deadhead ticket giveaway....
- He begins traveling all around the country as a "deadhead" -- riding free on competitors' airliners -- passing checks, and working toward a goal more unrealistic than he realizes: he wants to reconcile his parents.
4 (Deadhead) informal A fan of the rock group the Grateful Dead.The editor is a reference librarian who also coauthored with David Dodd The Grateful Dead and the Deadheads: An Annotated Bibliography....
- There was an especially loud contingent of people down front, who apparently follow him from concert to concert, a la the Grateful Dead's Deadheads.
- The Deadheads gave the Grateful Dead a steady revenue stream and a safe harbor.
5A sunken or partially submerged log: most boating accidents begin small, as a disabled engine or a collision with a deadhead...
- Another hazard to keep in mind during the pre-spawn is deadheads under the water.
- Many "deadheads" can be seen sticking out of the water, and some caution needs to be taken to avoid submerged ones if you are paddling close to the shore.
verb
1 [with object] Remove dead flower heads from (a plant): deadhead and spray rose bushes...
- Young plants should be deadheaded after flowering so that the energy they would have spent on fruit or seed then goes into more shoots.
- To keep annuals blooming at the peak of their ability, deadhead regularly.
- Gardeners require space in the beds so that they can weed, deadhead and prune.
2 [no object] North American informal (Of a commercial driver) complete a trip in a train or other vehicle with no passengers or cargo: they deadhead back to Denver on eastbound trains...
- The weekend was a fine one for the spare board, with engines and trains deadheading back and forth making it even better.
- He was expressing anger that the deadheading train passed him by.
- The train deadheaded to Vancouver and I understand the mucky mucks will board in the morning and head south sometime after 08:00 today towards Seattle.
