Jump To:

• dixie
  dixie

  noun

  a large iron pot, especially a 12-gallon camp kettle used by the British Army.
• Dixie
  Dixie

  noun

  the southern states of the United States, especially those that were formerly part of the Confederacy.
• “Dixie”
  “Dixie”

  An American song of the nineteenth century. It was used to build enthusiasm for the South during the Civil War and still is treated this way in the southern states. It was written for use in the theater by a northerner, Daniel Decatur Emmett. As usually sung today, “Dixie” begins:

  I wish I was in the land of cotton;

  Old times there are not forgotten:

  Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

dixie

¹ American  

[dik-see] / ˈdɪk si /

noun

Indian English.

1. a large iron pot, especially a 12-gallon camp kettle used by the British Army.

---

Dixie ² American  

[dik-see] / ˈdɪk si /

noun

1. Also called Dixie Land, Dixieland. the southern states of the United States, especially those that were formerly part of the Confederacy.

2. (italics) any of several songs with this name, especially the minstrel song (1859) by D. D. Emmett, popular as a Confederate war song.

3. a female given name.

---

adjective

1. of, from, or characteristic of the southern states of the United States.

idioms

1. whistle Dixie, to indulge in unrealistically optimistic fantasies.

dixie ¹ British  

/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

1. military a large metal pot for cooking, brewing tea, etc

2. a mess tin

---

dixie ² British  

/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

1. dialect a lookout

---

Dixie ³ British  

/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

1. Also called: Dixieland. the southern states of the US; the states that joined the Confederacy during the Civil War

2. a song adopted as a marching tune by the Confederate states during the American Civil War

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the southern states of the US

“Dixie” Cultural  

1. An American song of the nineteenth century. It was used to build enthusiasm for the South during the Civil War and still is treated this way in the southern states. It was written for use in the theater by a northerner, Daniel Decatur Emmett. As usually sung today, “Dixie” begins:

   I wish I was in the land of cotton;

   Old times there are not forgotten:

   Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

---

Usage

Why is Dixie trending? On June 25, 2020, searches for Dixie increased 2,048% compared to the previous week after the popular country music band the Dixie Chicks announced it was changing its name to just the Chicks.

Etymology

Origin of dixie¹

1895–1900; < Hindi dēgcī, diminutive of dēgcā pot

Origin of Dixie²

1855–60, often said to be (Mason-)Dix(on line) + -ie

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dixie Dixie “Dixie”

According to tradition, the plebes’ grueling first year isn’t over until one of them replaces the dixie cup with an officer’s “combination cover.”

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

At 2 hours and 17 minutes, I watch as the dixie cup is finally replaced with the officer’s cover.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

He lifted the lid from the dixie again and sniffed.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque

Then he poured in some water, and with his hands scoured the dixie inside and out.

From Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey

After half an hour of unsuccessful efforts, I returned my dixie to the cook shack, being careful to put on the cover, and returned to the billet.

From Over the Top by Arthur Guy Empey

A scrum of beer joints and honky-tonks with names like the Dixie Pig, Club Hillbilly and the Ozarks helped the clientele feel at home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

When the plot went public, it was denounced outside Dixie — Horace Greeley’s New-York Tribune called it the “Manifesto of the Brigands”—and the idea was shelved as America slid toward civil war.

From Barron's ● Jan. 18, 2026

But he will have to continue scoring at this rate to beat Dixie Dean's record 63 goals in all competitions from almost a century ago, which stands as a record for an English top-flight player.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025

“I’d say 25% of drag queens make a full-time living,” said drag queen Dixie Krystals.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2025

Actions and feelings of men ten thousand miles from home helped me to understand the moods and impulses of those walking the streets of Chicago and Dixie.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

At last, The Chicks’ triumphant return gets a Gorge-sized celebration two years after dropping the “Dixie” in their name and releasing their first studio album in 14 years, the Jack Antonoff-produced “Gaslighter.”

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 11, 2022

In 2020, the school’s trustees commissioned an impact study that found problems with the “Dixie” name.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 27, 2021

The Chicks are opening up about their decision to drop “Dixie” from their band’s name and revealed what they nearly changed their name to.

From Fox News ● Jul. 17, 2020

Daniel Decatur Emmett, a successor to Rice, said that he wrote “Dixie” one dreary night on the Bowery in 1859.

From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2020

And they seemed to beat down the “Dixie” tune with every step.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---