dice

American  

[dahys] / daɪs /

plural noun

singular

die

1. small cubes of plastic, ivory, bone, or wood, marked on each side with one to six spots, usually used in pairs in games of chance or in gambling.

2. poker dice.

3. any of various games, especially gambling games, played by shaking and throwing from two to six dice or poker dice onto a flat surface.

4. any small cubes.

5. Auto Racing. a jockeying for lead position between two or more drivers in which tactics are used to pass or keep from being passed.

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verb (used with object)

diced, dicing

1. to cut into small cubes.

2. to decorate with cubelike figures.

3. to lose by gambling with dice (often followed byaway ).

verb (used without object)

diced, dicing

1. to play at dice.

2. to cause or bring about by gambling with dice.

3. Auto Racing. to duel with another car or cars in a dice.

idioms

1. no dice, of no use or help; ineffective.

dice British  

/ daɪs /

plural noun

1. cubes of wood, plastic, etc, each of whose sides has a different number of spots (1 to 6), used in games of chance and in gambling to give random numbers

2. Also called: die.  (functioning as singular) one of these cubes

3. small cubes as of vegetables, chopped meat, etc

4. slang an expression of refusal or rejection

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verb

1. to cut (food, etc) into small cubes

2. (intr) to gamble with or play at a game involving dice

3. (intr) to take a chance or risk (esp in the phrase dice with death )

4. informal (tr) to abandon or reject

5. (tr) to decorate or mark with dicelike shapes

dice More Idioms  

1. see load the dice; no deal (dice).

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Usage

Plural word for dice Dice is the plural form of the singular noun die, referring to a small cube of plastic, ivory, or other material, marked on each side with one to six spots. The more standard English plural form dies is used for other senses of the word die but not for the small cube. Dice derives directly from this irregular noun’s original pluralization in Middle English. Dice is sometimes treated as both a singular and plural form of die. The singular die is less commonly used.

Other Word Forms

• dicer noun

Etymology

Origin of dice

1300–50; Middle English dees, dis, dyce (singular and plural), dyces (plural) < Old French de(i)z, dés (plural); die ²

Example Sentences

The strategy hedges the outcome by limiting risk rather than just rolling the dice on strong odds.

From Barron's

"There's another roll of the dice coming," a seasoned observer on the diplomatic circuit said to me recently.

From BBC

Players roll a dice to move their pawns across the board, with each landing spot corresponding to cards containing questions or instructions to act out disaster-specific responses.

From Barron's

Those with a college diploma roll the dice more than their peers who lack a degree.

From MarketWatch

“You roll the dice and you hope you make it.”

From Los Angeles Times