deuce

play

noun \ ˈdüs also ˈdyüs \

Definition of deuce

1 a (1) :the face of a die that bears two spots

(2) :a playing card bearing an index number two

b :a throw of the dice yielding two points

2 :a tie in tennis after each side has scored 40 requiring two consecutive points by one side to win

[obsolete English deuce bad luck]

a :devil, dickens —used chiefly as a mild oath

what the deuce is he up to now

b :something notable of its kind

a deuce of a mess

See deuce defined for English-language learners

See deuce defined for kids

Examples of deuce in a Sentence

She beat her opponent after eight deuces.

Recent Examples of deuce from the Web

Jamie Lisanti One last must-have: Grey Goose Honey Deuce: More than 275,000 melon balls will be used to garnish the U.S. Open’s signature cocktail.

— jamie lisanti, SI.com, "How to Eat Your Way Through the 2017 U.S. Open," 24 Aug. 2017
Pliskova faced her only break point of the match in the second game of the first set but fought through two additional deuces to avoid breaking.

— alexa philippou, Cincinnati.com, "Defending Western & Southern champ Pliskova rolls past Wozniacki into semis," 19 Aug. 2017
Remember the Double Deuce bar in Road House where Patrick Swayze played a bouncer?

— andrew knowlton, Bon Appetit, "No. 08Kemuri Tatsu-YaAustin," 15 Aug. 2017
And Donald Trump took the opportunity to drop a deuce in that punch bowl.

— laura bradley, vanityfair.com, "Inspired by Trump’s Deranged Speech, Colbert Writes New Boy Scout Oath," 26 July 2017
And Donald Trump took the opportunity to drop a deuce in that punch bowl.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Inspired by Trump’s Deranged Speech, Colbert Writes New Boy Scout Oath," 26 July 2017
Bike rentals: cruisers, tandems, choppers, quad sports, deuce coupes, four-wheel surrey bikes.

— The Courier-Journal, "45+ fun things to do in Louisville July 20-26," 19 July 2017
Over the past few months, songstresses Charli XCX and Dua Lipa have been throwing deuces up and making their friendship on Instagram official.

— lauren valenti, Vogue, "How Charli XCX and Dua Lipa are Spicing Up the BFF Beauty Game," 16 July 2017
There were three more deuces before Dostanic broke Hance’s service.

— tim tuttle, Orange County Register, "Woodbridge’s Dostanic knocks off Peninsula’s Hance to capture CIF-SS singles title," 3 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deuce.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of deuce

Middle English dewes, from Anglo-French deus two, from Latin duos, accusative masculine of duo two — more at two

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Game Terms

bezique, carom, convention, crap, euchre, gambit, monte, parlay, tierce

deuce

verb

Definition of deuce

deuced; deucing

transitive verb

:to bring the score of (a tennis game or set) to deuce

Recent Examples of deuce from the Web

Television broadcasts showed that Kerber’s shot had, in fact, landed out, which would have brought the score to deuce.

— ben rothenberg, New York Times, "Serena Williams Loses Bid for 23rd Major and Her No. 1 Ranking SEPT. 8, 2016," 8 Sep. 2016

First Known Use of deuce

1919

DEUCE Defined for English Language Learners

deuce

play

noun

Definition of deuce for English Language Learners

: a playing card that has the number two on it or two symbols on it
tennis : a situation in which each side has a score of 40
—used to make a question or statement more forceful

Learn More about deuce

See words that rhyme with deuce Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deuce

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up deuce? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

deuce

Definition of deuce

Examples of deuce in a Sentence

Recent Examples of deuce from the Web

Origin and Etymology of deuce

Other Game Terms

deuce

Definition of deuce

Recent Examples of deuce from the Web

First Known Use of deuce

DEUCE Defined for English Language Learners

deuce

Definition of deuce for English Language Learners

Learn More about deuce

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

glabrous

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

What's Going On With 'Nonplussed'?

Welcome to the New Words

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Name that Color!

Name That Thing

Word Winder's CrossWinder

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

9 Slang Words With Academic Origins

Trending: 'Bodega' Startup Draws Criticism, Mockery

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Words of the Year: 1066

deuce

Definition of deuce

From the M-W Editors

Examples of deuce in a Sentence

Recent Examples of deuce from the Web

Origin and Etymology of deuce

Other Game Terms

deuce

Definition of deuce

Recent Examples of deuce from the Web

First Known Use of deuce

Phrases Related to DEUCE

Related Phrases

DEUCE Defined for English Language Learners

deuce

Definition of deuce for English Language Learners

Learn More about deuce

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

9 Slang Words With Academic Origins

Trending: 'Bodega' Startup Draws Criticism, Mockery

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

Words of the Year: 1066