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deuces - 4 dictionary results

deuce

1  [doos, dyoos]
Use deuces in a Sentence
–noun
1. Cards. a card having two pips; a two, or two-spot.
2. Dice.
a. the face of a die having two pips.
b. a cast or point of two.
3. Tennis. a situation, as a score of 40–40 in a game or 5–5 in a match, in which a player must score two successive points to win the game or two successive games to win the set.
4. Slang.
a. a two-dollar bill.
b. the sum of two dollars.
–adjective
5. (esp. in games, sports, and gambling) two.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME deus < AF, MF: two < L duōs (masc. acc. of duo)

deuce

2  [doos, dyoos]
–noun
devil; dickens (used as a mild oath): Where the deuce did they hide it?
Origin:
1645–55; appar. to be identified with deuce 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To deuces
deuce 1   (dōōs, dyōōs)   
n.  
    1. A playing card having two spots or the side of a die bearing two pips.
    2. A cast of dice totaling two.
  2. A tied score in tennis in which each player or side has 40 points, or 5 or more games, and one player or side must win 2 successive points to win the game, or 2 successive games to win the set.
tr.v.   deuced, deuc·ing, deuc·es
To make the score of (a tennis game or set) deuce.

[Middle English deus, from Old French, two, from Latin duōs, masculine accusative of duo; see dwo- in Indo-European roots.]
deuce 2   (dōōs, dyōōs)   
n.  
  1. The devil: "Love is a bodily infirmity . . . which breaks out the deuce knows how or why" (Thackeray).
  2. An outstanding example, especially of something difficult or bad: had a deuce of a time getting out of town; a deuce of a family row.
  3. A severe reprimand or expression of anger: got the deuce for being late.
  4. Used as an intensive: What the deuce were they thinking of?

[Probably from Low German duus, a throw of two in dice games, bad luck, ultimately from Latin duo, two; see deuce1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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