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dead man walking. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
dead man walking, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
dead man walking in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
A phrase traditionally used in U.S. prisons to announce a condemned prisoner being walked to the place of execution. Its use has expanded as a euphemism for anyone facing an impending and unavoidable loss.
Noun
dead man walking (plural dead men walking)
- A condemned prisoner walking to a death chamber or other place of execution.
1996, Stephen King, The Green Mile:It was Percy Wetmore who ushered Coffey onto the block, with the supposedly traditional cry of “Dead man walking! Dead man walking here!”
- Someone who is soon to die.
2010, Peter Corris, Torn Apart, Allen and Unwin, page 231:"So, arrest me," Cummings said. "The fuck do I care? I'm a dead man walking."
- (figurative) Someone who is about to face an unavoidable loss (though the person may not realize it).
- (meteorology, slang) A multivortex tornado typically appearing in the form of a human figure walking.
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