deadman

/ˈdɛdˌmæn/
noun
  1. A dead body of a man; a corpse.
    • The detective found a deadman in the abandoned house.
    • The soldiers buried the deadman with full honors.
    • In the old legend, a deadman rises from the grave every full moon.
  2. A device or mechanism that automatically stops or activates something if the operator becomes incapacitated (e.g., a deadman's switch).
    • He installed a deadman pedal on the boat to prevent accidents.
    • The train driver must hold the deadman handle at all times or the brakes will engage.
    • The lawnmower has a deadman switch that stops the blade if you let go.
What does "deadman" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean