dead water

American  

noun

1. water eddying beside a moving hull, especially directly astern.

2. a part of a stream where there is a slack current.

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Etymology

Origin of dead water

First recorded in 1555–65

Example Sentences

The program also takes a detour to a dead water buffalo, which is nearby and might explain why the local lions haven’t shown more interest in the hippo.

From New York Times • Sep. 14, 2012

Was the dead water rat on the path an accident or a tribute to Damien Hirst?

From The Guardian • Aug. 25, 2012

That man-made area of dead water, called a hypoxic zone, is second in size only to a similar zone in the Baltic Sea.

From New York Times • Jul. 30, 2010

And "the sun looked like a white flame trapped inside the dead water."

From Time Magazine Archive

Air was trying to get out of that dead water.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut