dick

noun

ˈdik

Synonyms of dick next

usually vulgar

: penis

: a mean, stupid, or annoying man

I'll bet I wasn't the only person in the room who felt like a dick nodding over the gravity of this crime.—

P. J. O'Rourke

[by shortening & alteration] : detective entry 2

Sam Spade not only became the model for later dicks but also provided Hollywood with the classic private-eye film.—

Charles Nicol

chiefly British, informal : fellow, chap

He's an odd dick, for sure.

slang : the least amount : anything at all

Today, I was thinking, it would win all kinds of prizes at the Whitney Museum, but back in Newark in 1949 nobody knew dick about what real art was …—

Philip Roth

Examples of dick in a Sentence

a novel about a hard-boiled dick and the softhearted madam who loves him

Word History

Etymology

Dick, nickname for Richard

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler

The first known use of dick was in 1553

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dick. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Biographical Definition

Dick 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈdik

George Frederick 1881–1967 and Gladys Henry 1881–1963 American physicians

Dick

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Philip K(indred) 1928–1982 American sci-fi writer

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