sike

1 of 2

interjection

variant of psych entry 3

1

—used to say that a previous statement was false or facetious

Psych! Just kidding, man.

—Jeff Stark

No train in sight … Sike! Unbeknownst to me, the train was just coming up the hill …

—Phase2 (Michael Lawrence Marrow), quoted in VIBE

2

—used to signal coyness or playful deception

… we know who won. But … psych! We can't tell you.

—Angela Hill

… Jones raises his hand as if to smack Pericles, then freezes. His posture softens, and with the other hand, he reaches for a single finger to remove his ring … as a gift for Pericles to give to his own bride. Sike!

—Lily Janiak

sike

2 of 2

noun

ˈsīk 

plural sikes

1

dialectal, chiefly British : a small stream

especially : one that dries up in summer

2

dialectal, chiefly British : ditch

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sīc; akin to Old Norse sīk slow stream, Old English sicerian to trickle

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1