Definitions:

1. abbreviation for `dead on arrival' at the emergency room adjective
   • It was too late and the patient was pronounced D.O.A. of heart failure.
2. Has been adopted in various fields to metaphorically describe something that is ineffective, unsuccessful, or doomed from the start. ABBREVIATION
   • Upon reviewing the project proposal, the manager described it as D.O.A., citing its unrealistic goals and inadequate planning.
3. Used more broadly in law enforcement and other emergency services contexts to describe a situation where individuals are found dead at the scene of an incident before any medical aid could be provided. ABBREVIATION
   • The paramedics declared the victim D.O.A. after efforts to resuscitate him at the scene failed.

Synonyms:

• dead in the water
• doomed from the start
• found deceased
• lifeless on arrival
• non-starter
• non-survivable upon arrival
• non-viable