[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

deadlock \dead"lock`\, n.
   1. a lock which is not self-latching, but requires a key to
      throw the bolt forward.
      1913 webster

   2. a counteraction of things, which produces an entire
      stoppage; a complete obstruction of action.
      1913 webster

            things are at a deadlock.             --london
                                                  times.
      1913 webster

            the board is much more likely to be at a deadlock of
            two to two.                           --the century.
      1913 webster

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

deadlock
     n : a situation in which no progress can be made or no
         advancement is possible; "reached an impasse on the
         negotiations" syn: dead end, impasse, stalemate, standstill
see also:
dead end impasse stalemate standstill 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

83 moby thesaurus words for "deadlock":
   tweedledum and tweedledee, arrest, bell, blind alley, block, box,
   brake, bring to, bring up short, cessation, check, checkmate,
   condition, corner, cul-de-sac, cut short, cutoff, dam, dead end,
   dead heat, dead set, dead stand, dead stop, dead-end street,
   dilemma, draw, draw rein, dying down, ebb, ebbing, end, endgame,
   ending, even break, extremity, fair shake, final whistle, freeze,
   full stop, grinding halt, gun, halt, hole, impasse, knotted score,
   lock, lockout, neck-and-neck race, photo finish, plight, posture,
   predicament, pull up, put paid to, quandary, sit-down strike,
   situation, slow down, stalemate, stall, stand, stand-off, standoff,
   standstill, state, stay, stem, stem the tide, stillstand, stop,
   stop cold, stop dead, stop short, stoppage, strike, stymie,
   subsidence, the same, tie, walkout, wane, waning, work stoppage

[4] : Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001)

deadlock n. 1. techspeak a situation wherein two or more processes
   are unable to proceed because each is waiting for one of the others to
   do something. a common example is a program communicating to a server,
   which may find itself waiting for output from the server before sending
   anything more to it, while the server is similarly waiting for more
   input from the controlling program before outputting anything. it is
   reported that this particular flavor of deadlock is sometimes called a
   `starvation deadlock', though the term `starvation' is more properly
   used for situations where a program can never run simply because it
   never gets high enough priority. another common flavor is
   `constipation', in which each process is trying to send stuff to the
   other but all buffers are full because nobody is reading anything. see
   deadly embrace. 2. also used of deadlock-like interactions between
   humans, as when two people meet in a narrow corridor, and each tries to
   be polite by moving aside to let the other pass, but they end up swaying
   from side to side without making any progress because they always move
   the same way at the same time.


see also:
deadly embrace 

[5] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

deadlock
     
         a situation where two or more
        processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for
        one of the others to do something.
     
        a common example is a program waiting for output from a server
        while the server is waiting for more input from the
        controlling program before outputting anything.  it is
        reported that this particular flavour of deadlock is sometimes
        called a "starvation deadlock", though the term "starvation"
        is more properly used for situations where a program can never
        run simply because it never gets high enough priority.
     
        another common flavour is "constipation", in which each
        process is trying to send stuff to the other but all buffers
        are full because nobody is reading anything.  see deadly
        embrace.
     
        another example, common in database programming, is two
        processes that are sharing some resource e.g. read access to
        a table but then both decide to wait for exclusive
        e.g. write access.
     
        the term "deadly embrace" is mostly synonymous, though usually
        used only when exactly two processes are involved.  this is
        the more popular term in europe, while deadlock predominates
        in the united states.
     
        compare: livelock.  see also safety property, liveness
        property.
     
        jargon file
     
        2000-07-26
     
     
see also:
processes deadly embrace database table deadlock livelock 
safety property liveness property jargon file 

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