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  • dixie
    dixie
    noun
    a large iron pot, especially a 12-gallon camp kettle used by the British Army.
  • Dixie
    Dixie
    noun
    the southern states of the United States, especially those that were formerly part of the Confederacy.
  • “Dixie”
    “Dixie”
    An American song of the nineteenth century. It was used to build enthusiasm for the South during the Civil War and still is treated this way in the southern states. It was written for use in the theater by a northerner, Daniel Decatur Emmett. As usually sung today, “Dixie” begins:

    I wish I was in the land of cotton;

    Old times there are not forgotten:

    Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

dixie

1 American  
[dik-see] / ˈdɪk si /

noun

Indian English.
  1. a large iron pot, especially a 12-gallon camp kettle used by the British Army.


Dixie 2 American  
[dik-see] / ˈdɪk si /

noun

  1. Also called Dixie Land.  Also called Dixieland.  the southern states of the United States, especially those that were formerly part of the Confederacy.

  2. (italics) any of several songs with this name, especially the minstrel song (1859) by D. D. Emmett, popular as a Confederate war song.

  3. a female given name.


adjective

  1. of, from, or characteristic of the southern states of the United States.

idioms

  1. whistle Dixie, to indulge in unrealistically optimistic fantasies.

dixie 1 British  
/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

  1. military a large metal pot for cooking, brewing tea, etc

  2. a mess tin

"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

dixie 2 British  
/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

  1. dialect a lookout

"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

Dixie 3 British  
/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

  1. Also called: Dixieland.  the southern states of the US; the states that joined the Confederacy during the Civil War

  2. a song adopted as a marching tune by the Confederate states during the American Civil War

"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

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the southern states of the US

"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
“Dixie” Cultural  
  1. An American song of the nineteenth century. It was used to build enthusiasm for the South during the Civil War and still is treated this way in the southern states. It was written for use in the theater by a northerner, Daniel Decatur Emmett. As usually sung today, “Dixie” begins:

    I wish I was in the land of cotton;

    Old times there are not forgotten:

    Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.


Usage

Why is Dixie trending? On June 25, 2020, searches for Dixie increased 2,048% compared to the previous week after the popular country music band the Dixie Chicks announced it was changing its name to just the Chicks.

Etymology

Origin of dixie1

1895–1900; < Hindi dēgcī, diminutive of dēgcā pot

Origin of Dixie2

1855–60, often said to be (Mason-)Dix(on line) + -ie

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.

When the plot went public, it was denounced outside Dixie — Horace Greeley’s New-York Tribune called it the “Manifesto of the Brigands”—and the idea was shelved as America slid toward civil war.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

When the plot went public, it was denounced outside Dixie — Horace Greeley’s New-York Tribune called it the “Manifesto of the Brigands”—and the idea was shelved as America slid toward civil war.

From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026

“I’d say 25% of drag queens make a full-time living,” said drag queen Dixie Krystals.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2025

Silva said few teachers at Dixie Canyon are requested by parents more frequently than Dekermenjian, whom she calls Mr. Deker.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2025

It’s official: an all-Black team has made it to a Dixie Youth Softball Association section championship.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

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