「dead」是「死亡」,但「dead of night」卻是「midAdle of the night」的意思,形容夜深人靜,連一根針掉地上都聽得見似的,例如:
The fire broke out in the dead of night.(火災在夜深人靜的時候突然發生。)
My skin crawled when I heard a sudden shriek in the dead of night.(夜晚萬籟俱寂時突然聽到一聲尖叫,讓我起雞皮疙瘩。)
Awaking in the dead of night ,I witnessed the silver white and crystal clear moon.(我在夜深人靜的時候醒來,親眼目睹銀白清澈的月亮。)