Okie

[ oh-kee ]

/ ˈoʊ ki /

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noun Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive.

a term used to refer to a migrant farm worker from Oklahoma or nearby states, especially one who moved westward during the Great Depression.

a term used to refer to a native or inhabitant of Oklahoma.

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Origin of Okie

First recorded in 1915–20; Ok(lahoma) + -ie

usage note for Okie

In historical contexts, Okie is usually used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting, implying that the migrant worker is poor, transient, ignorant, or uneducated. But as a general nickname for an Oklahoman, Okie is sometimes appropriated as a positive term of self-reference.

Words nearby Okie

O'Kelly, Oken, okey-doke, Okhotsk, Okhotsk Plate, Okie, Okinawa, Okla., Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Bombing

Other definitions for Okie (2 of 2)

Okie²

[ oh-kee ]

/ ˈoʊ ki /

Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

noun

a contemptuous term used to refer to a native of Okinawa.

adjective

belonging to the Okinawan people.

Origin of Okie

First recorded in 1935–40; Ok(inawa) + -ie

How to use Okie in a sentence

When do you arrive in this favorite land of yours for you Okie junket?
Leonard Bernstein Asked About Hemingway, So Martha Gellhorn Set the Record Straight|Leonard Bernstein, Martha Gellhorn|October 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“Okie From Muskogee” made fun of hippies and extolled small-town virtues, but it did it with some tongue in cheek.
Vince Gill Confronts Fringe Groups and Gives Country Some Cred|Malcolm Jones|September 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"Listen, you guys," Okie pounded his fat finger into Sartan's chest.
Jubilation, U.S.A.|G. L. Vandenburg
Okie took the piece between his fingers, examined it and frowned.
Jubilation, U.S.A.|G. L. Vandenburg

Okie lit out from behind the bar and elbowed his way through the crowd.
Jubilation, U.S.A.|G. L. Vandenburg
Okie, the proprietor, was on duty readying the place for the night shift.
Jubilation, U.S.A.|G. L. Vandenburg
I suppose that is what the one called Okie wishes us to learn.
Jubilation, U.S.A.|G. L. Vandenburg

British Dictionary definitions for Okie

Okie

/ (ˈəʊkɪ) /

noun US slang, sometimes offensive

an inhabitant of Oklahoma

an impoverished migrant farm worker, esp one who left Oklahoma during the Depression of the 1930s to work elsewhere in the US

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