Duce

/ˈdus/ noun

Definition

A playing card or die showing two spots, or in slang, the number two or sometimes a best friend (from the phrase 'deuce of friends').

Etymology

From Old French 'deus' and Latin 'duos' (two). The card/die meaning comes directly from counting two spots; the slang extended from there through rhyming slang and informal usage.

Kelly Says

In tennis, 'deuce' (a variant spelling) means the score is tied at 40-40, and you need to win by 2 points—a fascinating use of the 'two' meaning that created its own special sports vocabulary, showing how games generate their own linguistic universes.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.