tyke en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /taɪk/
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From Middle English tike, tyke, from Old Norse tík (“female dog”), from Proto-Germanic *tīkō. Compare Icelandic tík, Faroese tík, and Swedish tik, all meaning “bitch, female dog”.
Meanings
-
(dialectal) A mongrel dog.
It was the day of warlocks and apparitions, now happily driven out by the zeal of the General Assembly. Witches pursued their wanchancy calling, bairns were spirited away, young lassies selled their souls to the Evil One, and the Accuser of the Brethren, in the shape of a black tyke, was seen about cottage doors in the gloaming.
1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:
-
(colloquial) A small child, especially a cheeky or mischievous one.
Manipulative little tyke I was.
1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 146:
- (Canada, colloquial) A small child, especially a cheeky or mischievous one. ▸ Designating an initiation level of sports competition for young children.
-
(UK, dated) An uncultured, crude and unrefined or uncouth ill-bred person.
Why, the inquiry thing, the yellow-dog thing—you wouldn’t think a mangy, native tyke would be allowed to trip up people in the verandah of a magistrate’s court, would you?
1900, Joseph Conrad, chapter 5, in Lord Jim:
- (UK, informal) A person from Yorkshire; a Yorkshireman or Yorkshirewoman.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tike | alternative | lexicographic | |
| tykes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
tykish · gay tyke boy · dyke tyke
Relateds
Synonyms
nipper · mongrel (mongrel dog) · mutt (mongrel dog) · ankle-biter (slang: small child) · tot
Translations (13)
fr gamin (small child) · fi sekarotuinen koira (mongrel dog) · de Lümmel (small child) · uk дворня́жка (mongrel dog) · de Lausbube (small child) · fi vintiö (small child) · bg пес (mongrel dog) · fr bâtard (mongrel dog) · tr haydut (small child) · bg палавник (small child) · de Schlingel (small child) · uk розбиша́ка (small child) · bg помияр (mongrel dog)