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Dead

1. 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 queen, my lord, is dead. The crew, all except himself, were dead of hunger. (Arbuthnot) Seek him with candle, bring him dead or living. (Shak)

2. Destitute of life; inanimate; as, dead matter.

3. Resembling death in appearance or quality; without show of life; deathlike; as, a dead sleep.

4. Still as death; motionless; inactive; useless; as, dead calm; a dead load or weight.

5. So constructed as not to transmit sound; soundless; as, a dead floor.

6. Unproductive; bringing no gain; unprofitable; as, dead capital; dead stock in trade.

7. Lacking spirit; dull; lusterless; cheerless; as, dead eye; dead fire; dead colour, etc.

8. Monotonous or unvaried; as, a dead level or pain; a dead wall. The ground is a dead flat.

9. Sure as death; unerring; fixed; complete; as, a dead shot; a dead certainty. I had them a dead bargain. (Goldsmith)

10. Bringing death; deadly.

11. Wanting in religious spirit and vitality; as, dead faith; dead works. Dead in trespasses.

12. Flat; without gloss; said of painting which has been applied purposely to have this effect. Not brilliant; not rich; thus, brown is a dead colour, as compared with crimson.

13. 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.

14. (Science: machinery) Not imparting motion or power; as, the dead spindle of a lathe, etc. See spindle. Dead ahead, a wind directly ahead, or opposed to the ships course. to be dead, to die. I deme thee, thou must algate be dead. (Chaucer)

Synonym: inanimate, deceased, extinct. See Lifeless.

Origin: oe. Ded, dead, deed, as. Dead; akin to os. Dd, D. Dood, g. Todt, tot, Icel. Daur, Sw.