dickens

[ dik-inz ]

noun
  1. Usually the dickens . devil; deuce (often used in exclamations and as a mild oath): The dickens you say! What the dickens does he want?

Origin of dickens

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; apparently a fanciful use of Dicken, form of Dick, a proper name

Words Nearby dickens

Other definitions for Dickens (2 of 2)

Dickens
[ dik-inz ]

noun
  1. Charles John Huf·fam, [huhf-uhm], /ˈhʌf əm/, "Boz", 1812–70, English novelist.

Other words from Dickens

  • Dick·en·si·an [dih-ken-zee-uhn], /dɪˈkɛn zi ən/, adjective

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How to use dickens in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dickens (1 of 2)

dickens

/ (ˈdɪkɪnz) /


noun
  1. informal a euphemistic word for devil what the dickens?

Origin of dickens

1
C16: from the name Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for Dickens (2 of 2)

Dickens

/ (ˈdɪkɪnz) /


noun
  1. Charles (John Huffam), pen name Boz. 1812–70, English novelist, famous for the humour and sympathy of his characterization and his criticism of social injustice. His major works include The Pickwick Papers (1837), Oliver Twist (1839), Nicholas Nickleby (1839), Old Curiosity Shop (1840–41), Martin Chuzzlewit (1844), David Copperfield (1850), Bleak House (1853), Little Dorrit (1857), and Great Expectations (1861)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012