widowmaker
A dead branch or treetop lodged high in the canopy, detached from the trunk but not yet fallen — hanging overhead, waiting for wind or decay to bring it down. Widowmakers kill loggers, campers, and hikers without warning. The first rule of choosing a campsite is to look up.
Etymology
Logger slang, American. The name is not a joke — falling branches and treetops are among the leading causes of death in the timber industry.
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