deadman

Meanings

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

1. A surname.

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.