Definition of "roadkill" [road•kill]

• An animal or animals killed by being struck by a motor vehicle. (noun)
• Slang One that has failed or been defeated and is no longer worthy of consideration: "Many radio rightists betray a truculent nostalgia for the old foes who became their roadkill” ( Richard Corliss). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "If roadkill is exempt, poachers have an easy way out."
• "In that area of the country, roadkill is part of the cuisine."
• "There's no regular German word for "roadkill" - it's an American concept, though I'm sure they run animals over on the autobahn."