Deprived of life; -- opposed to alive and living; reduced to that state of a being in which the organs of motion and life have irrevocably ceased to perform their functions; as, a dead tree; a dead man.
The crew, all except himself, were dead of hunger.
Seek him with candle, bring him dead or living.
Destitute of life; inanimate; as, dead matter.
Resembling death in appearance or quality; without show of life; deathlike; as, a dead sleep.
Still as death; motionless; inactive; useless; as, dead calm; a dead load or weight.
So constructed as not to transmit sound; soundless; as, a dead floor.
Unproductive; bringing no gain; unprofitable; as, dead capital; dead stock in trade.
Lacking spirit; dull; lusterless; cheerless; as, dead eye; dead fire; dead color, etc.
Monotonous or unvaried; as, a dead level or pain; a dead wall.
Sure as death; unerring; fixed; complete; as, a dead shot; a dead certainty.
I had them a dead bargain.
Bringing death; deadly.
Wanting in religious spirit and vitality; as, dead faith; dead works.
Flat; without gloss; -- said of painting which has been applied purposely to have this effect. (Paint.)
Cut off from the rights of a citizen; deprived of the power of enjoying the rights of property; as, one banished or becoming a monk is civilly dead. (Law)
Not imparting motion or power; as, the dead spindle of a lathe, etc. See Spindle. (Mach.)
Carrying no current, or producing no useful effect; -- said of a conductor in a dynamo or motor, also of a telegraph wire which has no instrument attached and, therefore, is not in use. (Elec.)
Out of play; regarded as out of the game; -- said of a ball, a piece, or a player under certain conditions in cricket, baseball, checkers, and some other games.
[In golf], a ball is said to lie dead when it lies so near the hole that the player is certain to hole it in the next stroke.
I deme thee, thou must algate be dead.
Dead
adv.
To a degree resembling death; to the last degree; completely; wholly. [Colloq.]
I was tired of reading, and dead sleepy.
Phrases & Compounds
Dead drunk
so drunk as to be unconscious.
Dead
n.
The most quiet or deathlike time; the period of profoundest repose, inertness, or gloom; as, the dead of winter.
When the drum beat at dead of night.
One who is dead; -- commonly used collectively.
And Abraham stood up from before his dead.
Dead
v. t.
To make dead; to deaden; to deprive of life, force, or vigor. [Obs.]
Heaven's stern decree,
With many an ill, hath numbed and deaded me.
Dead
v. i.
To die; to lose life or force. [Obs.]
So iron, as soon as it is out of the fire, deadeth straightway.