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Definition of dewey

dewey

/ˈduː.i/
dew · ey

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dewey Lexical Profile

• noun

1

(usually capitalized as Dewey) Short for the Dewey Decimal Classification, a proprietary library classification system established by Melvil Dewey in 1876 that organizes books by subject into ten main numerical classes.

Example

"The school librarian taught the students how to locate history books using Dewey."


2

American (capitalized as Dewey) A city in Washington County in northeastern Oklahoma, United States, located just north of Bartlesville.

• adjective

1

Variant spelling of dewy; moistened, wet, or glistening with or as if with dew.

Example

"She walked barefoot across the dewey morning grass before the sun rose."

Word Nuance & Usage

As a common adjective meaning moist or covered with dew, the standard spelling is 'dewy', though 'dewey' occurs as a variant; capitalized as 'Dewey', it refers to the surname or the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

• Rhymes for dewey

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Dewey. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/dewey
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