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deadbeat

 
(dĕd'bēt') pronunciation Slang.
n.
  1. One who does not pay one's debts.
  2. A lazy person; a loafer.
adj.
Not fulfilling one's obligations or paying one's debts: a deadbeat dad.


dead·beat2 (dĕd'bēt') pronunciation
adj.
Having an indicator that stops without oscillation.


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Credit customer who, without just cause, has not paid for his order by the end of the billing series; also called uncollectible. Names of deadbeats are removed from the active customer list and may be used later as a purge file against promotion lists. See also bad debt; bad-debt allowance; credit prescreening.



In general: one who does not pay his bills. In contrast to a freeloader or deadhead , who doesn’t pay the (train) fare but doesn’t necessarily add cost to the service provider, the deadbeat runs up a bill for goods and services that he uses individually, without payment.


Accounting: credit customer who, without just cause, has not paid for his order by the end of the billing cycle. Names of deadbeats are removed from the active customer list and may be used later as a purge file against promotion lists.
See also bad debt.

Previous:Dead-End Job, Dead-Cat Bounce, Dead Time
Next:Deadhead, Deadline, Dealer


1.  Defeated; also exhausted. For example, That horse was dead beat before the race even began, or, as Charles Dickens put it in Martin Chuzzlewit (1843): "Pull off my boots for me ... I am quite knocked up. Dead beat." [ Slang; first half of 1800s]
2.  Also, deadbeat. A lazy person or loafer; also, one who does not pay debts. For example, Her housemate knew she was a deadbeat, shirking her share of the chores, or He's a deadbeat; don't count on getting that money back. [Slang; second half of 1800s]

Word Tutor:

deadbeat

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - Someone who fails to meet a financial obligation.

Tutor's tip: You would be "dead beat" (exhausted) if you had to carry the load for a "deadbeat" (a moocher; a loafer) in your office.

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Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'deadbeat'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to deadbeat, see:

Translations:

Deadbeat

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - udmattet, uden rekyl
n. - fattigper, dovenlars

Nederlands (Dutch)
doodop, klaploper (in uurwerk)

Français (French)
adj. - crevé, éreinté, claqué
n. - chiffe molle, (US) parasite, pique-assiette

Deutsch (German)
n. - Taugenichts
adj. - erschöpft

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (καθομ.) τρακαδόρος, χαραμοφάης, κακοπληρωτής, μπαταξής
adj. - ξεθεωμένος, κατάκοπος, (ηλεκτρ.) απεριοδικός, (μηχαν.) άνευ οπισθοδρομήσεως

Italiano (Italian)
fannullone

Português (Portuguese)
n. - malandro (m)
adj. - caloteiro

Русский (Russian)
бездельник

Español (Spanish)
adj. - rendido , pulsación sin retroceso
n. - zángano, aprovechado, gorrón, tunante, taimado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - dagdrivare
adj. - dödstrött

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
非周期的, 无振荡的, 赖债不还的人, 食客, 饭桶

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 非周期的, 無振蕩的
n. - 賴債不還的人, 食客, 飯桶

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 기진맥진한
n. - 부랑자, 돈을 떼 먹는 사람, 나태한 사람, (식물을) 고사 시키다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 払わない人, 怠け者

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) متهرب من دفع ديونه, المتسكع (صفه) ذو مؤشر يعطي قراءة قليله أو منعدمه التأرجح‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮עצלן, רצוץ, עייף, לא פורע חוב‬
n. - ‮עצלן, ביטניק‬


 
 

 

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American Heritage Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Barron's Marketing Dictionary. Dictionary of Marketing Terms. Copyright © 2000 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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