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Etymologists aren't exactly sure of the origins of the verb dicker; however, there is a probability that it arose from the bartering of animal hides on the American frontier. The basis of that theory is founded on the noun dicker, which in English can refer to a quantity of ten hides. That word is derived from decuria, the Latin word for a bundle of ten hides, and ultimately from Latin decem, meaning "ten" (to learn why the month December comes from the Latin word decem, click here). In ancient Rome, a decuria became a unit of bartering. The word entered Middle English as dyker and eventually evolved to dicker. It has been posited that the verb emerged from the bargaining between traders over dickers of hides, but not all etymologists are sold on that idea.
Synonyms
Examples of dicker in a Sentence
Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Last year’s announcement was delayed nearly an hour while the Atlantic Coast Conference, bowl directors and television executives dickered — bickered?
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2023
Conrad's lawyer dickered for weeks with the owners of Baldwin House.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2023
The celebrity may dicker over the price, but ultimately reach an agreement.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2021
Numerous lawsuits have been filed, especially against Weinstein and his company, but remain mired in legal limbo as attorneys for plaintiffs and defendants dicker over damages.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dicker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dicker
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“Dicker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dicker. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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