... disable a portion of something, as a wire from a computer or a subroutine from a program. A standard slogan is "When in doubt, dike it out". (The implication is that it is usually more effective to attack software problems by reducing complexity than by increasing it.) The word 'dikes' is widely used among mechanics and engineers to mean 'diagonal cutters', ... — The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0