Where does “dead stick” come from?

dead stick (English) comes from English stick, from Middle English stikke, from Old English sticca, from Proto-West Germanic *stikkō — stick, pole.

dead stick (English): An unpowered propeller; Failed aircraft power;...

Definitions

  1. An unpowered propeller; Failed aircraft power;...

Ancestry of “dead stick”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstickAn elongated piece of wood or similar material,...
2Middle Englishstikketwig, branch; kindling, twigs used as a...
3Old Englishsticcastick
4Proto-West Germanic*stikkōstick, pole
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *stikkō →Every word from Old English sticca →Every word from Middle English stikke →