dead cert

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English

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Etymology

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Clipping of dead certainty.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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dead cert (plural dead certs)

  1. (informal) A practically guaranteed outcome.
    It's a dead cert that United will beat City in the cup.
    • 1962, Dick Francis, chapter 4, in Dead Cert, published 2004, page 46:
      “Jockeys are bad tipsters. But that one was a cert, a dead cert.” A dead cert. The casual, everyday racing expression jabbed in my mind like a needle.
    • 2020 May 20, Paul Clifton, “A hydrogen solution to decarbonisation?”, in Rail, page 54:
      "Tees Valley is our first target. It's not a dead cert yet, but we are very hopeful.

Synonyms

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Anagrams

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