What does "deuce" mean?
A card with two pips, one of four in a standard deck of playing cards.
Deuce
/djuːs/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A card with two pips, one of four in a standard deck of playing cards.
- Grammar: deuce is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: devil, two, 2, ace.
- Useful contrasts: ace, advantage, calmness.
- Usage evidence: There will be the deuce to pay.
How to use "deuce"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "deuce" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "deuce" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "deuce" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "deuce" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "deuce" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "devil" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "deuce", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A card with two pips, one of four in a standard deck of playing cards.
"You see, Sir, when I look at the Ace it reminds me that there is but one God. The deuce reminds me that the bible is divided into two parts; the Old and New Testaments. And when I see the trey I think of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost."
- 2 The Devil, used in exclamations of confusion or anger.
"Love is a bodily infirmity […] which breaks out the deuce knows how or why"
- 3 one of the four playing cards in a deck that have two spots wordnet
- 4 A side of a die with two spots.
- 5 Synonym of devil (“something awkward or difficult”).
"We had a deuce of a time getting here."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 a word used in exclamations of confusion wordnet
- 7 A cast of dice totalling two.
- 8 the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number wordnet
- 9 The number two.; A piece of excrement; number two. Canada, US, slang
- 10 a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game wordnet
- 11 The number two.; A two-year prison sentence. Canada, slang
"Bisexual male, 28, doing a deuce in a segregated housing unit due to positive HIV test result, seeks correspondence from both genders."
- 12 A hand gesture consisting of a raised index and middle finger, a peace sign.
- 13 A tied game where either player can win by scoring two consecutive points.
- 14 A curveball.
- 15 A 1932 Ford.
"And she was blinded by the light/Oh, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night."
- 16 Two-barrel (twin choke) carburetors (in the phrase three deuces: an arrangement on a common intake manifold). in-plural
- 17 A table seating two diners. slang
- 18 A twopence coin. archaic, slang
"It was a shame of the chalk-takers to take their fee without even scoring one little mark; but chalk-takers are inexorable and must be paid their twopence. 'Down with your deuces', was the demand after each pair of birds had competed."
- 19 douche euphemistic, slang
Proper Noun
- 1 Alternative letter-case form of deuce (“the Devil”). alt-of
"“I should not allow any one to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it—walk in!” The “walk in,” was uttered with closed teeth and expressed the sentiment, “Go to the Deuce!”"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"There will be the deuce to pay."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "deuce"?
Common synonyms include: devil, two, 2, ace, best bower, bower.
How do you use "deuce" in a sentence?
There will be the deuce to pay.
How do you pronounce "deuce"?
Pronounced /djuːs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dewes (“two”), from Anglo-Norman, from Old French deus, from Latin duo. The word was used by Ford Motor Co. in 1932 to describe a two-seater car model.
Etymology 2
Compare Late Latin dusius (“phantom, specter”); Scottish Gaelic taibhs, taibhse (“apparition, ghost”); or from Old French deus (“God”), from Latin deus (compare deity).