: a ruling official of the Ottoman Empire in northern Africa

Examples of dey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Miss Lucy’s teeth is grinning Just like an ear ob corn, And her eyes dey look so winning! Anna Deavere Smith, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Turkish dayı, literally, maternal uncle

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dey was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near dey

Cite this Entry

“Dey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dey. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

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