dicker

¹ American  

[dik-er] / ˈdɪk ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to deal, swap, or trade with petty bargaining; bargain; haggle.

2. to barter.

3. to try to arrange matters by mutual bargaining.

   They dickered for hours over some of the finer points of the contract.

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noun

1. a petty bargain.

2. a barter or swap.

3. an item or goods bartered or swapped.

4. a deal, especially a political deal.

dicker ² American  

[dik-er] / ˈdɪk ər /

noun

1. the number or quantity ten, especially a lot of ten hides or skins.

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dicker British  

/ ˈdɪkə /

verb

1. to trade (goods) by bargaining; barter

2. (intr) to negotiate a political deal

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noun

1. 1. a petty bargain or barter

   2. the item or items bargained or bartered

2. a political deal or bargain

Etymology

Origin of dicker¹

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805; perhaps verb use of dicker ²

Origin of dicker²

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English diker, deker, from Old French dacre and Medieval Latin dikeria, dacra; ultimately from Latin decuria decury

Explanation

To dicker is to haggle or bargain. When you buy something at a yard sale, you often have to dicker over the price. When you dicker, you negotiate, often with some arguing or going back and forth. Your new dog walker might dicker with you over how many walks your dog needs each day, and a savvy kid will dicker with her grandmother over how many cookies she's allowed to have after lunch. The word is purely American, from the early 1800s, possibly from the old fashioned noun dicker, which was once a unit of trade that meant "a set of ten hides."

Example Sentences

Faye Dicker founded a women's networking group called Freelance Mums in 2013, designed for mothers who run their own businesses or work remotely.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

With the help of Charlotte assistant Dicker and Scotland assistant Steven Naismith, BBC Scotland gets the lowdown on "one of the best facilities in the MLS" and the national team's summer set-up.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Rookie running back Omarion Hampton made it 20-16 with a rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter before Dicker compounded his uncharacteristic day with a missed extra point.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2025

They are joined by outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, tackle Joe Alt and kicker Cameron Dicker.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

"You said snacks, didn't you?" urged Dicker, trembling violently.

From Stories by American Authors (Volume 4) by Woolson, Constance Fenimore

Related Words

• haggle