dead soldier

noun

, Slang.

1. an empty beer, liquor, or wine bottle or empty beer can.

dead soldier

noun

1. informal.
   an empty beer or spirit bottle

Word History and Origins

Origin of dead soldier¹

First recorded in 1915–20

Idioms and Phrases

Also, dead man . An empty liquor, wine, or beer bottle, as in Their trash barrel's full of dead soldiers; they must drink a lot , or That dead man sticking out of your pocket alerted the officer to the fact that you'd been drinking. Dead man has been slang for “empty bottle” since the late 1600s but has been largely replaced by dead soldier , dating from the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

“We will never find the last dead soldier. And today there is a new war. So this lesson wasn’t enough for you?”

From New York Times

In Gaza, the militants filmed themselves pulling a dead soldier’s body from a car.

From Seattle Times

Their son-in-law was friends with Andrii Kozyr, and though they shared a last name, he wasn’t related to the dead soldier.

From Seattle Times

"Now that Kelly is coming forward to bash Trump over his views of vets, remember when he attacked Rep Frederica Wilson for criticizing Trump's handling of a dead soldier's widow? Kelly called her 'all hat & no cattle,' & misrepresented comments she made. What changed?" questioned The Messenger's Marc Caputo.

From Salon

The name of the dead soldier, the conditions of the injured and details of the accident weren’t immediately released.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• glass
• jar
• jug
• urn
• vial