dead head—
1. (coll.) a person who contributes nothing to an enterprise or activity; a non–fare-paying passenger, etc.:
- “No more dead-heads,” Mr. Skinner warned. “Hereafter, pay for your guests.”
2. a dead flower that has become withered and faded:
- The culling of dead heads is a ploy that figures persistently in the garden in summer.
3. an obstruction floating so low in the water that only a small part of it is visible:
- Numerous “dead-heads” bobbed in the current like otters swimming with the stream.
death’s head—a human scull as an emblem of death or a danger sign:
- There had been three variations of the chemical hazard symbol. One was a picture of a death’s head, or skull and crossbones.