dead hand
The term "dead hand" can refer to various forms of influence, control, or inaction across different contexts, including legal, military, and card games.
Definition
C1General
(idiomatic)A negative influence from the past that restricts progress or innovation.
Example
- The company's old policies acted as a dead hand on its growth.
C2Law
(technical)The control of property by a deceased person through a will or trust, often limiting its use or transfer.
Example
- The estate was under the dead hand of the founder's will, preventing any sale of the land.
B2Card Games
A hand of cards that is excluded from play, often due to a rule infraction.
Example
- After the mistake was noticed, his cards became a dead hand.
C2Nuclear Warfare
(technical)An automatic system designed to launch nuclear weapons in response to a strike, ensuring retaliation even if command centers are destroyed.
Example
- The Dead Hand system was a key component of the Soviet Union's nuclear strategy.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "dead hand":
dead stickdead man's handdead grounddead moneybare handtaut handdead standdeath gripthird handfree handhot handdead sleepdead weightdead waterdead meatdead man's fingersdead treedead in the waterhands offcold deckgreen handrunning handdead drophand over handsit on one's handstwo left handsdead man walkingdead spotdead letterliving deaddead men