dyke
dyke Lexical Profile
dyke Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A long wall or embankment built to prevent flooding from the sea or a river, or an excavated ditch or watercourse for drainage.
"Engineers reinforced the coastal dyke to protect the low-lying farmland from rising storm surges."
A lesbian (originally and often used as a disparaging slang term, though also reclaimed as a neutral or proud self-designation within the lesbian community).
"The annual pride parade began with a motorcade organized by a local dyke collective."
British In geology, a sheet-like body of igneous rock or sediment that cuts vertically or steeply across older existing rock strata.
"The dark basalt dyke was clearly visible cutting vertically through the pale sandstone cliff."
Scottish A low wall serving as a boundary or enclosure, typically built of dry stone or turf.
"The sheep grazed quietly inside the pasture enclosed by an ancient dry-stone dyke."
• verb
British To provide, protect, or enclose land with a wall, embankment, or drainage ditch.
"Centuries ago, villagers began to dyke the marshes to reclaim fertile ground for agriculture."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Dyke" is the preferred British spelling for an embankment, ditch, or geological intrusion (spelled "dike" in American English). In informal slang, "dyke" also refers to a lesbian; while historically used as an offensive slur, it has been reclaimed by some within the LGBTQ+ community as a neutral or positive self-identifier.
• Rhymes for dyke
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English dik, from Old English dic ("trench, ditch, earthwork"), reinforced by Old Norse dik and Middle Dutch dijc, all ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root related to digging. The slang sense referring to a lesbian originated in early 20th-century American English, though its exact derivation remains uncertain.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.