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
Noun
The new backing meant the indie could staff up, get a slightly roomier office, and roll the dice on more projects. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2024 Pick your mascot, roll the dice, and see what mayhem ensues around the digital tabletop. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
This version is slightly different from the inaugural pie from 2023, which also had diced sweet potatoes. Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 21 Oct. 2024 Finely dice the herbs or put them in a blender to chop them. Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dice 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dice.' 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

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

Dictionary Entries Near dice

Cite this Entry

“Dice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dice. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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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