dead rope—
1. a rope that is fixed, and does not run in a pulley:
- There must always be at least two complete turns of dead rope on the pulley or drum.
2. a bell-rope working on a halfwheel, for chiming:
- The bells were not hung for “full circle” ringing until 1678; prior to this date they were hung “dead rope.”
death rope—a rope used for hanging a person:
- “You want to do the honors?” asked our lieutenant, holding up the untied end of the German officer’s death rope…