DEADWOOD noun (ded-woo d)

noun

1. (in writing) unnecessary words, phrases, or exposition; expendable verbiage.
2. the dead branches on a tree; dead branches or trees.
3. useless or burdensome persons or things: He cut the deadwood from his staff.
4. Nautical. a solid construction, serving only as reinforcement, located between the keel of a vessel and the stem or sternpost.
5. Bowling. pins remaining on the alley after having been knocked down by the ball.
6. Cards. a. Rummy. cards in a hand that have not been included in sets and are usually counted as points against the holder. b. Poker. cards that have been discarded.


Quotes

Well-chosen words add to the meaning and power of your essays; deadwood or clutter, as some editors call wasted words, gets in the way.
--*Phillip Eggers,*Process and Practice with Multicultural Readings, 1997

Learn to recognize deadwood. For example, rather than simply writing because, since, or if, some students feel compelled to clutter their sentences with empty phrases. Here are some common [ones] ...: by virtue of the fact that; due to the fact that; for the simple reason that; inasmuch as; in light of the fact that ...
--*Luis A. Nazario, Deborah D. Borchers, William F. Lewis,*Bridges to Better Writing, 2010



Origin

Deadwood was first recorded in the 1720s. It’s a combination of the words dead and