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dickens

 - 6 dictionary results

dick⋅ens

  [dik-inz]
Use dickens in a Sentence
–noun
devil; deuce (usually prec. by the and often used in exclamations and as a mild imprecation): The dickens you say! What the dickens does he want?
Origin:
1590–1600; appar. a fanciful use of Dicken, form of Dick, proper name

Dick⋅ens

  [dik-inz]
–noun
Charles (John Huf⋅fam) [huhf-uhm] , (“Boz”), 1812–70, English novelist.
Related forms:
Dick⋅en⋅si⋅an  [di-ken-zee-uhn] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To dickens
dick·ens   (dĭk'ənz)   
n.   Informal

  1. A severe reprimand or expression of anger: gave me the dickens for being late.

  2. Used as an intensive: What in the dickens is that?


[Alteration of devil (influenced by the name Dickens).]
Dick·ens   (dĭk'ĭnz)   
British writer known for his tales of Victorian life and times. His works, which first appeared in serialized form, include The Pickwick Papers (1836-1837), Oliver Twist (1837-1838), and David Copperfield (1849-1850).
Dick·en'si·an (dĭ-kěn'zē-ən) adj.
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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Slang Dictionary
dickens

  1. n.
    the dickens the devil. (Always with the in this sense.) : I felt as bad as the dickens, but what could I do?
  2. n.
    a devilish or impish child. (Also a term of address. Usually with little.) : You are such a cute little dickens!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

dickens 
exclamation, 1598, probably altered from Dickon, nickname for Richard and source of the surnames Dickens and Dickenson, but exact derivation and meaning are unknown.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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