Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

deadman

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.43 in modern English

Syllables: dead-man
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A long object, often a timber or log, buried to serve as an anchor for a wall or for stays.

noun

A cutout device that operates in the event that an operator releases the control handles, leaves the operator's seat, or otherwise seems to be no longer present and alert.

name

Example Sentences

"The building code requires deadmen for retaining walls."
"a deadman device"
"[...] a Brown-Boveri deadman's control; [...]."

Etymology

From dead + man. In the sense referring to a safety switch, the notion of an operator who is dead is the figurative archetype representing any incapacitation, absence, or inattention. See also Dead Hand in that regard.

Inflected Forms

deadmen (plural) Deadmans (plural)

Derived Forms

Deadman

Synonyms

dead man's switch

Questions

What does deadman mean?: A long object, often a timber or log, buried to serve as an anchor for a wall or for stays.
Where does deadman come from?: From dead + man. In the sense referring to a safety switch, the notion of an operator who is dead is the figurative archetype representing any incapacitation, absence, or inattention. See also Dead Hand in that regard.

How to pronounce deadman

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