dead wood

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Related to dead wood: get the axe

deadwood

1. Literally, the dead parts of a tree, bush, or plant. Your plant might bloom again if you cut the deadwood out.

2. Those who are ineffective and unproductive. Based on these consistently low numbers, there's a lot of deadwood in that department.

3. In bowling, fallen pins that have yet to be cleared from the lane. It's my turn, as soon as the deadwood gets cleared.

dead wood

If you describe someone or something as dead wood, you mean that they are no longer useful or effective in a particular organization or situation and you want to get rid of them. It is now time for the dead wood at the top of the party to be cut away. The Government's policies were designed to streamline the industry and remove some of the dead wood.

dead wood

people or things that are no longer useful or productive.

2003 Architectural Review Academics cement themselves like limpets to whomever will give them tenure. Australian universities are full of dead wood.

ˌdead ˈwood

(informal) people or things that are no longer useful or necessary: The management wants to cut costs by getting rid of all the dead wood in the factory. Fifty workers are to lose their jobs.

This refers to the parts of a tree or a branch that are dead and no longer produce fruit, etc.

deadwood

n. nonproductive or nonfunctional persons. We’ll have to cut costs by getting rid of the deadwood.

References in periodicals archive ?

Within the framework of the Year of the Environment, the management organized an action "12 good deeds", during which forestry officers jointly with the public held subbotniks for cleaning dead wood on an area of ?

Russian Federation : On the Implementation of the Road Map in the Voronezh Region

Good bosses recognise the occa- sional need for well-intentioned so- cial hypocrisy; so having had those deeply uncomfortable conversa- tions with the dead wood, you should give them a modest leaving party at which you pay them selective but truthful compliments.

On the Campaign couch... with jb

Despite sampling of soil and litter, both species have, so far, only been found in dead wood.

A new Saproxylic paleonurini (Collembola, Neanuridae) species from North America with the first record of Galanura agnieskae Smolis, 2000 from the continent

According to the Scotsman, Longmuir was inspired to write Dead Wood by a series of murders in Dundee and the book features a boy who is psychologically damaged after discovering the body of a murder victim.

Chris Longmuir wins GBP10,000 Dundee International Book Prize for her first novel Dead Wood

There was so much dead wood they were able to make a large serpentine structure as well as smaller groupings.

FROM MISERY TO JOY

It's a celebration we should be having because the dead wood is going away.

Survival in the circle of life

Even the taking of dead wood (the right of estovers) is detrimental to the woodland environment as decaying timber has high biodiversity value and is part of the woodland cycle.

Letter: your view - Forestry Commission

Another beneficial effect of the 1964 defeat was that it cleared a lot of dead wood out of the Republican Party.

The show must not go on

The good news is that the November elections are approaching, and if the public is aroused, much of this professional dead wood can be replaced with patriots who will defend our borders and our country

No more DHS

Nor is it an excuse for failing to weed out the dead wood, collapse the structure, or--Dear God

Spin this!

shutting down the industry's "weak sisters" is best for our industry associations--such cutting of dead wood removes bad examples from among the membership, poor foundry and management practices from the committees, and outdated thinking from the boards of directors.

Strengthening the Industry

Lightning fires cleared the woods of brush, dead wood, and an overabundance of young trees.

Wildfire ReLeaf

They have to get rid of the dead wood on their books, foreclose on deadbeats, and generate whatever cash they can from the sale of assets -- even it's only twenty cents on the dollar.