dice

1 of 2

noun

plural dice
1
b
: a gambling game played with dice
2
plural also dices : a small cubical piece (as of food)
3
: a close contest between two racing-car drivers for position during a race

dice

2 of 2

verb

diced; dicing

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut into small cubes
diced onions
b
: to ornament with square markings
diced leather
2
a
: to bring by playing dice
dice himself into debt
b
: to lose by dicing
dice her money away

intransitive verb

1
: to play games with dice
dice for drinks in the barMalcolm Lowry
2
: to take a chance
the temptation to dice with deathNewsweek
dicer noun
Phrases
no dice
1
: of no avail : no use : futile
2
: no entry 1 sense 3
said no dice to my request

Examples of dice in a Sentence

Noun In this game, each player rolls the dice to see who plays first. They were shooting dice in one of the bar's back rooms. Verb Dice the potatoes and add them to the soup. quickly diced some peppers and onions and threw them into the stew
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Otherwise, the Nuggets are going to keep rolling the dice with kids or veterans on minimum deals. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 19 May 2025 Instead of rolling the dice on the games, start with this exclusive offer. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
Verb
The ham can be from off of a bone, diced up from a ham steak, chopped leftover ham, andouille sausage, or even pancetta (Italian bacon). Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2025 While Florida has gotten here by leaning on Clayton to carry the scoring load, the fact that Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard (11 assists) and Purdue's Braden Smith (15 assists) both diced Houston up as passers makes 4 or more seem like a manageable number for Clayton, whose season average is 4.1 apg. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dice

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English dyce, from dees, dyce, plural of dee die entry 2

Verb

Middle English dycen, from dyce dice entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dice was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dice. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

dice

1 of 2 noun
plural dice
1
2
: a gambling game played with dice

dice

2 of 2 verb
diced; dicing
1
: to cut into small cubes
diced carrots
2
: to play games with dice
dicer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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