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  • Charlie
    Charlie
    noun
    a word used in communications to represent the letter C.
  • charlie
    charlie
    noun
    a silly person; fool

Charlie

American  
[chahr-lee] / ˈtʃɑr li /

noun

  1. a word used in communications to represent the letter C.

  2. Military Slang. Also Charley Victor Charlie.

  3. a male given name, form of Charles.

  4. a female given name.


charlie 1 British  
/ ˈtʃɑːlɪ /

noun

  1. informal a silly person; fool

  2. old-fashioned a girl or woman

"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

Charlie 2 British  
/ ˈtʃɑːlɪ /

noun

  1. communications a code word for the letter c

"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

Charlie 3 British  
/ ˈtʃɑːlɪ /

noun

  1. slang military a member of the Vietcong or the Vietcong collectively

    Charlie hit us with rockets

"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

Charlie 4 British  
/ ˈtʃɑːlɪ /

noun

  1. slang cocaine

"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

Etymology

Origin of charlie1

C20: for sense 1: shortened from Charlie Hunt, rhyming slang for cunt ; sense 2 is shortened from Charlie Wheeler, rhyming slang for sheila

Origin of Charlie3

shortened from Victor Charlie, communications code for VC, abbreviation of Vietcong


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:

Charlie Chaplin’s famous bumbling, mustachioed character known as the Tramp, who waddles and wears a bowler hat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

MarketWatch columnist Charlie Garcia has some practical advice for anyone facing a similar offer, including the five questions to ask before signing on the dotted line.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

“It’s like watching Lucy and Charlie Brown with the football, but I can’t decide who is Lucy and who is Charlie Brown,” said tech journalist and frequent “Real Time” guest Kara Swisher in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026

Romesh reflected: "I just really hope my mum's proud. And also my youngest son Charlie, who wanted me to come on the show - dad won. Please show me some respect."

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Charlie and Lloyd were rolling in the weeds, busting their guts laughing.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

"How is charlie kirk 28?," chimed Hanna Gais, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2022

This deeply depressing concept is partly why charlie brooker created black mirror.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2015

Sure but nothing that was traumatizing compared to the other injures i.e. ankle sprains, charlie horses etc.

From New York Times ● Sep. 14, 2010

Pie is charlie brown because the latter had to have pie at every meal.

From Time Magazine Archive

“They catching hell up there. They say charlie riding hogs up around Quang Tri.”

From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

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