deadman

[ ded-man, -muhn ]

noun

, plural dead·men [ded, -men, -m, uh, n].

1. Building Trades. a log, concrete block, etc., buried in the ground as an anchor.
2. a crutchlike prop temporarily supporting a pole or mast being erected.
3. Nautical.
   1. an object fixed on shore to hold a mooring line temporarily.
   2. a rope for hauling the boom of a derrick inboard after discharge of a load of cargo.

adjective

1. Also dead-man's. Machinery, Automotive. of or relating to a control or switch on a powered machine or vehicle that disengages a blade or clutch, applies the brake, shuts off the engine, etc., when the driver or operator ceases to press a pedal, squeeze a throttle, etc.:

   deadman throttle; dead-man's control.

deadman

/ ˈdɛdˌmæn /

noun

1. civil engineering a heavy plate, wall, or block buried in the ground that acts as an anchor for a retaining wall, sheet pile, etc, by a tie connecting the two
2. mountaineering a metal plate with a wire loop attached for thrusting into firm snow to serve as a belay point, a smaller version being known as a deadboy

Word History and Origins

Origin of deadman¹

dead + man

Example Sentences

After workers noticed debris on a hill above Deadman’s Run creek in Lincoln, they heard the driver calling for help at about 7:45 a.m. and then called emergency services to get the man out of the car.

From Washington Times

The stretch of the river between Cashmere and Wenatchee is abundant with rapids earning names like Snow Blind and Deadman’s Drop.

From Seattle Times

The bus was carrying about 40 people when the accident occurred in an area near Pendleton called Deadman Pass.

From Seattle Times

The bus was carrying about 40 people when the accident occurred in an area near Pendleton called Deadman Pass.

From Seattle Times

We repacked our gear and followed large bear tracks up the trail into Deadman Canyon, named for Alfred Moniere, a sheepherder whose long-ago burial is marked by a carved wooden sign.

From New York Times