deadwood
deadwood Lexical Profile
deadwood Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Wood from branches or trees that have died, either still attached to a living tree or fallen to the ground.
"Before winter arrives, the groundskeeper prunes the deadwood from the old oak trees along the driveway."
People or things that are no longer useful, productive, or effective, especially within an organization or group.
"The new executive board reorganized the department to clear out the deadwood and improve overall efficiency."
Heavy timber built into the narrow lower part of a wooden ship's hull at the bow and stern to reinforce the keel.
"The shipwrights carefully bolted the oak deadwood above the keel to strengthen the vessel's stern."
North American Knocked-down bowling pins that remain lying on the lane or pin deck and must be cleared before the next ball is rolled.
"In candlepin bowling, players are permitted to use the fallen deadwood on the lane to help knock down the remaining standing pins."
• Rhymes for deadwood
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 16th century as a compound of the Old English roots 'dead' and 'wudu' (wood); its figurative sense of unproductive people or things emerged in American English in the mid-19th century, derived from the forestry practice of pruning dead branches to promote healthy tree growth.