This week’s theme
Words with multiple meanings

This week’s words
churl
dickey
dingbat
decollate
lave

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(DIK-ee)

MEANING:

noun:	1. A detachable shirtfront, collar, bib, etc.
	2. A small bird.
	3. A donkey.
	4. The driver’s seat or rear seat in a carriage.
	5. The luggage compartment of a vehicle; also known as trunk or a boot.
adjective:	1. Not working properly.
	2. In poor health.

ETYMOLOGY:

For noun: A diminutive of Dick, a nickname for Richard. Earliest documented use: 1753.
For adjective: Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1788.

USAGE:

“What she didn’t realize was that she wasn’t wearing a blouse, only a dickey.”
Jo James; Be Still My Heart; PublishAmerica; 2007.

“Then he went to his bedroom and packed up ... and put this in the dickey of his car.”
H.G. Wells; Men Like Gods; Cassell; 1923.

“And, despite a dicky heart and a brush with cancer, he’s about to embark on nationwide tour.”
Rachael Bletchly; They Named Me Wilde But I Was Too Tired for Girls; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Apr 13, 2019.

See more usage examples of dickey in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: