dice

1 of 2

noun

ˈdīs 

plural dice

1

a

: die sense 1

b

: a gambling game played with dice

2

plural also dices : a small cubical piece (as of food)

3

: a close contest between two racing-car drivers for position during a race

dice

2 of 2

verb

diced; dicing

transitive verb

1

a

: to cut into small cubes

diced onions

b

: to ornament with square markings

diced leather

2

a

: to bring by playing dice

dice himself into debt

b

: to lose by dicing

dice her money away

intransitive verb

1

: to play games with dice

dice for drinks in the bar

—Malcolm Lowry

2

: to take a chance

the temptation to dice with death

—Newsweek

dicer noun

Phrases

no dice

1

: of no avail : no use : futile

2

: no entry 1 sense 3

said no dice to my request

Synonyms

Noun

• bones
• die

Verb

• chop
• hash
• mince

Examples of dice in a Sentence

Noun

In this game, each player rolls the dice to see who plays first.

They were shooting dice in one of the bar's back rooms.

Verb

Dice the potatoes and add them to the soup.

quickly diced some peppers and onions and threw them into the stew

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

All the world’s a stage, and all the dice snakes merely players. —Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024

The cowboy, played by actor Madelyn Murphy, only had one health point left — the result of some unlucky dice rolls and a run-in with a group of dagger-wielding thieves in the first act. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 3 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dyce, from dees, dyce, plural of dee die entry 2

Verb

Middle English dycen, from dyce dice entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing dice

• a roll of the dice
• loaded dice
• load the dice
• no dice
• roll the dice
• slice and dice

Kids Definition

dice

1 of 2 noun

ˈdīs 

plural dice

1

: die entry 2 sense 1

2

: a gambling game played with dice

dice

2 of 2 verb

diced; dicing

1

: to cut into small cubes

diced carrots

2

: to play games with dice

dicer noun