[] people or things that have become useless or unnecessary in an organization 冗员；废物◆Her first task was to clear out the dead wood from the department. 她的首要任务是清除部门内无用的人。⨁to clear out / cut away / cut out / get rid of / sweep away the dead wood 清除／铲除／裁汰／摆脱／肃清无用的人