deadweight
UK[ˈdedweɪt]US[ˈdedweɪt]
n
The total weight of a ship including its cargo, fuel, crew, and passengers.
n
A person or thing that is very heavy and difficult to move or lift.
n
A burden or impediment that makes it difficult for someone or something to make progress.
Morpheme Breakdown
dead
weight
dead
complete, absolute
weight
heaviness
Etymology
The term "deadweight" is a straightforward English compound formed from two native Germanic elements. The adjective "dead" evolved from the Proto-Germanic daudaz, meaning "dead," and in this context, it adopted an adverbial sense of "utterly" or "absolutely," intensifying the noun it modifies. "Weight" descends from the Proto-Germanic wihtiz, related to the concept of "thing" and "mass." The compound originally emerged in a nautical context during the 17th century to denote the total, static weight a ship carries when fully loaded—a complete and inert heaviness. This literal sense of an absolute, immobile burden was later extended metaphorically to describe any person or factor that acts as an inert and oppressive impediment to progress.
Analysis
Structure: dead (complete, absolute) + weight (heaviness)
- dead: From Old English dēad, meaning "lifeless, deceased." In this compound, it functions as an intensifier meaning "utterly, completely, absolute."
- weight: From Old English wiht, gewiht, meaning "a measure of heaviness, a unit of weight." It functions as the core noun denoting heaviness or burden.
Examples
The ship's deadweight is calculated to ensure it is not overloaded.
Carrying the sofa up the stairs was a real deadweight.
The outdated regulations are a deadweight on the industry's innovation.