# deadman

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #57,325

## Definitions
1. A corpse.
2. A long object, often a timber or log, buried to serve as an anchor for a wall or for stays.
3. 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.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/deadman