dead end: Meaning and Definition of

dead' end'

1. something, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.
2. a position that offers no hope of progress; blind alley; cul-de-sac: His theory led him to a dead end.

dead-end

1. terminating in a dead end: a dead-end street.
2. having no possibility for or hope of progress, advancement, etc.: a low-level, dead-end job.
3. leading a life in the slums: growing up as a tough dead-end kid.

1. to come to a dead end: The road dead-ends at the lake.