dey

[ dey ]

/ deɪ /

noun

the title of the governor of Algiers before the French conquest in 1830.

a title sometimes used by the former rulers of Tunis and Tripoli.

Words nearby dey

dextrosinistral, dextrotorsion, dextrotropic, dextrous, dextroversion, dey, dezhnev, dezincification, df, dfab, dfc

Origin of dey

1650–60; < French < Turkish dayι orig., maternal uncle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dey

Perhaps he holds up a manila folder and declares “I is all done wit me quahtahly repahts boss, and dey is IRIE!”
Volkswagen’s Super Bowl Ad an Unfunny Slight to Culture|Pia Glenn|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When it's over, de Marster comes home and dey holds a big celebration.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves.|Work Projects Administration
Dey all dance crazy and make up funny songs to go wid de dance.
Slave Narratives, Oklahoma|Various
Dey searched de house, and take out what dey want, den set de house afire.
Slave Narratives Vol. XIV. South Carolina, Part 2|Works Projects Administration

Dey know dey get whupped jes like a mule iffen dey act like dey don' wanna wurk.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, North Carolina Narratives, Part 2|Work Projects Administration
Dey jus' had plain plank shutters for blinds and de doors was made de same way, out of rough planks.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume IV, Georgia Narratives, Part 1|Work Projects Administration

British Dictionary definitions for dey

dey

/ (deɪ) /

noun

the title given to commanders or (from 1710) governors of the Janissaries of Algiers (1671–1830)

a title applied by Western writers to various other Ottoman governors, such as the bey of Tunis

Word Origin for dey

C17: from French, from Turkish dayi, literally: maternal uncle, hence title given to an older person

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