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.

QUIZZES

DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute.
to cause to be empty or unoccupied.
to assent tacitly; agree; consent.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dey

1650–60; <French <Turkish dayι originally, maternal uncle

Words nearby dey

dextrosinistral, dextrotorsion, dextrotropic, dextrous, dextroversion, dey, Dezhnev, dezincification, D/F, D.F.A., DFAB
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for dey

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