What does "dick" mean?
A male person.
Dick
/dɪk/ name, noun, num, verb, slang
name, noun, num, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A male person.
- Grammar: dick is listed as name, noun, num, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: cock, gumshoe, beagle, bluecoat.
- Useful contrasts: criminal, vagina.
- Usage evidence: Bill got mad and called Dick names.
How to use "dick"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dick" 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 "dick" 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 "dick" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dick" 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 "dick" is acting as name, noun, num, verb, 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 "cock" 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.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dick", 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 male person. countable, obsolete
"THINGS YOU NEVER HEAR: "Please stop sucking my dick or I'll call the police.""
- 2 A detective. US, dated, slang, transitive, vulgar
"private dick, railroad dick"
- 3 A declaration. obsolete, slang, transitive, vulgar
""He seems to set a deal of store by her, though. There's some young 'ooman at home, where she lives, I'd take my dying dick.""
- 4 obscene terms for penis wordnet
- 5 A male person. (countable and uncountable, informal, vulgar, slang) The penis.; The penis. countable, informal, obsolete, slang, uncountable, vulgar
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 someone who is a detective wordnet
- 7 A contemptible or obnoxious person; a jerk; traditionally, especially, a male jerk. countable, derogatory, offensive, slang, vulgar
"That dude is such a dick."
- 8 Absolutely nothing. Canada, US, slang, uncommon, uncountable, vulgar
"Last weekend I did dick."
- 9 Sexual intercourse with a man. slang, uncountable, vulgar
"You better try and get some dick and take your mind off this bullshit."
Verb
- 1 To mistreat or take advantage of somebody (often with around or up). slang, transitive, vulgar
"Dude, don't let them dick you around like that!"
- 2 To penetrate sexually. slang, transitive, vulgar
"Homeboy, throw in the towel / Your girl got dicked by Ricky Powell"
Numeral
- 1 Ten, in Cumbrian sheep counting. Cumbria, slang, transitive, vulgar
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Richard, also used as a formal given name.
"Lascivious Edward, and thou perjur'd George,/ And thou mis-shapen Dick, I tell ye all,"
- 2 A surname transferred from the given name.
Example
"Bill got mad and called Dick names."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dick"?
Common synonyms include: cock, gumshoe, beagle, bluecoat, bobby, bull.
How do you use "dick" in a sentence?
Bill got mad and called Dick names.
How do you pronounce "dick"?
Pronounced /dɪk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Ultimately from Dick, pet form of the name Richard. The name Dick came to mean "everyman", whence the word acquired its other meanings.
Etymology 2
A shortening and alteration of de(t)ec(tive).
Etymology 3
A shortening and alteration of dec(laration).
Etymology 4
From a Cumbric *deg, corresponding to Welsh deg, from Proto-Brythonic *deg.
Etymology 5
Rhyming nickname for Rick, pet form of Richard.