noun
roadkill
ROHD-kihl
noun
1
An animal killed by a vehicle on the road, or the act of an animal being killed this way.
"They swerved to avoid becoming roadkill after a deer darted into the headlights."
2
Someone or something helplessly destroyed or defeated, used figuratively.
"Smaller shops became roadkill once the big chain moved into town."
How to Use Roadkill
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn animal hit and killed by a car, or figuratively, a helpless casualty of something bigger.
Word Forms
roadkills plural
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They swerved to avoid becoming _____ after a deer darted into the headlights.
Etymology
A compound of "road" + "kill," coined to describe animals struck and killed by traffic.