English · Slang Attested

dead horse

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Tomato sauce.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

nước sốt cà chua

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Australian English

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To work for the dead horse; to work for wages already paid.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

làm việc cho tiền đã được trả

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Horses Life & death Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “dead horse” mean?

Tomato sauce.

Is “dead horse” formal or informal?

dead horse is generally slang.

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