dice
Americanplural noun
-
small cubes of plastic, ivory, bone, or wood, marked on each side with one to six spots, usually used in pairs in games of chance or in gambling.
-
any of various games, especially gambling games, played by shaking and throwing from two to six dice or poker dice onto a flat surface.
-
any small cubes.
-
Auto Racing. a jockeying for lead position between two or more drivers in which tactics are used to pass or keep from being passed.
verb (used with object)
-
to cut into small cubes.
-
to decorate with cubelike figures.
-
to lose by gambling with dice (often followed byaway ).
verb (used without object)
-
to play at dice.
-
to cause or bring about by gambling with dice.
-
Auto Racing. to duel with another car or cars in a dice.
idioms
plural noun
-
cubes of wood, plastic, etc, each of whose sides has a different number of spots (1 to 6), used in games of chance and in gambling to give random numbers
-
Also called: die. (functioning as singular) one of these cubes
-
small cubes as of vegetables, chopped meat, etc
-
slang an expression of refusal or rejection
verb
-
to cut (food, etc) into small cubes
-
(intr) to gamble with or play at a game involving dice
-
(intr) to take a chance or risk (esp in the phrase dice with death )
-
informal (tr) to abandon or reject
-
(tr) to decorate or mark with dicelike shapes
Usage
Plural word for dice Dice is the plural form of the singular noun die, referring to a small cube of plastic, ivory, or other material, marked on each side with one to six spots. The more standard English plural form dies is used for other senses of the word die but not for the small cube. Dice derives directly from this irregular noun’s original pluralization in Middle English. Dice is sometimes treated as both a singular and plural form of die. The singular die is less commonly used.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have dicedperfect
-
has dicedperfect 3rd person singular
-
has been dicingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are dicingprogressive
-
have been dicingperfect progressive
-
am dicingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is dicingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
dicingparticiple
-
dicessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had dicedperfect
-
were dicingprogressive plural
-
was dicingprogressive singular
-
had been dicingperfect progressive
-
dicedsimple
-
dicedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dice
1300–50; Middle English dees, dis, dyce (singular and plural), dyces (plural) < Old French de(i)z, dés (plural); see die 2
Explanation
Dice are what you roll when you're playing Yahtzee or Monopoly; they are two cubes marked with dots on each side that represent the numbers one through six. The noun dice is the plural form of the singular die. Although many people use the word dice when they're talking about a single die, it's actually only correct to call two or more of the dotted cubes dice. You can also use the word as a verb to mean "chop into tiny pieces or cubes." You might, for example, read a recipe instruction that says: "Dice three tomatoes."
Vocabulary lists containing dice
A Recipe for Success: Thanksgiving Cooking Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Culinary Vocabulary Sampler
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop roleplaying game where players create fantasy characters and roll dice to determine whether their actions, like a sword attack or a persuasive argument, are successful against their foes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
In 2007 with Almería, Emery rolled a dice to select his starting XI against Deportivo La Coruna.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
“There is no way to slice and dice this report to water down the horrible headline,” writes John Ryding, chief economic advisor at Brean Capital.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Towns used his new position to dice up the Atlanta defense with passes, racking up two triple-doubles in the Knicks’ comeback series win.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
“Look—if you were playing Mr. Lemoncello’s Family Frenzy and the first and second time you rolled the dice, you landed on Sewer Repairs and Dog Pound, would you quit?”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.