dick
noun
a detective.
dick
1 American
[dik]
/ dɪk /
noun
Slang.
-
dicks
plural
-
Older Use. a detective.
-
Vulgar. penis.
-
Vulgar. a stupid, mean, or contemptible person, especially a man.
Dick
2
American
[dik]
/ dɪk /
noun
-
George Frederick, 1881–1967, U.S. internist.
-
Philip K., 1928–82, U.S. science-fiction writer.
-
a male given name, form of Richard.
dick
1
British
/ dɪk /
noun
-
a fellow or person
-
a person who is obnoxiously opinionated or self-satisfied; know-all
-
a slang word for penis
dick
2
British
/ dɪk /
noun
Dick
Scientific
/ dĭk /
Dick
Idioms
Usage
The third sense of this word was formerly considered to be taboo and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dick
First recorded in 1545–55; generic use of the name Dick ( def. )
Explanation
Dick is a vulgar slang word for a penis. It's also an insulting thing to call someone you don't like, especially a boy or man. Much like ass, this word for a below-the-belt body part is very commonly used as an insult meaning pretty much "jerk" or "idiot." Only males have dicks, and this insult is usually used toward a guy who is "acting like a dick." Lots of people find this word offensive, especially parents, teachers, and other adults. If you have to discuss a dick, you're better off saying penis or using a slang word that's sillier and less offensive, like johnson.
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.
See Examples For:
Buttery says there are some we probably recognise the names of but probably couldn't describe in detail and wouldn't really cook any more - like spotted dick.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
My biggest beef with Forgotten Land is that, as a heretofore non-Kirby player, Kirby kinda comes off as a dick.
From The Verge ● Mar. 23, 2022
Billboard Awards producer dick clark productions did ban Wallen from participating in the show.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2021
The Academy of Country Music, dick clark productions, and CBS announced the nominations on Friday, which honors some of the biggest talent and rising stars within country music.
From Fox News ● Feb. 26, 2021
They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes dick past.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
Longtime folks like Sens. Gary Peters, Dick Durbin, and more are packing it in.
From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026
Justice Antonin Scalia came to the same conclusion in 2004, amid calls to recuse in a case involving Vice President Dick Cheney, with whom he’d gone hunting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Dick Portillo turned a $1,100 investment into a billion-dollar hot-dog empire over 50 years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
Former chairman Dick Knight stabilised a club that in 1997 came within 27 minutes of being relegated out of the Football League.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Of course, Dick was a “blowhard”; his toughness, as Perry had come to know, existed solely in situations where he unarguably had the upper hand.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
Other types of plants — bulbs and perennial herbs like blue dicks, onions and larkspur — are “starting to ramp up” now, she said.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2023
Flowers include “desert dandelions, blue dicks, desert or wild parsley, and red maids,” according to the parks department, as well as blooming Joshua trees and bladderpod.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2023
Feminists weren’t literally going to steal their dicks and hide them in trees, as medieval witches were said to do, but that did turn out to be a surprisingly apt metaphor for their work.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 7, 2019
He’s the ghost of Christmas past gone wrong, singing with his show-host permasmile and completely missing the irony, while somehow shaming the seasonally disgruntled into feeling like dicks for not having a good time.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2018
"Youse'll pardon me if I keeps de spot-light on youse," drawled Larry the Bat, "Some of youse dicks ain't trustworthy."
From The Further Adventures of Jimmie Dale by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
