'Should a savage cat tear out a piece of flesh from the hand, she is said to "dawk" it out. Dawk expresses a ferocious stab and tear combined.'—Village Miners.
Also used of a baker marking loaves:—
'Prick it and dack it and mark it with T,
And put it in the oven for baby and me.'—Nursery Rhyme.
This seems to be identical with A.S. dalc, dolc, Dutch and Danish dolk, Icel. dálkr, Germ. dolch, all meaning a sharp piercing instrument, a skewer, a dagger, &c. (Smythe-Palmer).
Dead hedge. A wattled fence (Agric. of Wilts, ch. x).—N.W.
Dead pen. A sheep pen is occasionally so called in S. Wilts.
Dead-roof. A skilling roof made of bavins and thatched over.—N.W.
Dead year. Often used with possessive pronoun, as 'his dead year,' the year immediately following his death (Wilts Arch. Mag. vol. xxii. p. 111). A widow should not marry again 'afore the dead year's up.'—N.W.
Deaf-nettle. Lamium album, L., the Dead nettle. Cf. Dunch-nettle.—S.W.
Deaf-nut. A rotten or empty nut. Deaf=useless, inactive.—S.W.