deuce (redirected from deuce of a)

deuce ¹  (ds, dys)

n.

1.

a. A playing card having two spots or the side of a die bearing two pips.

b. A cast of dice totaling two.

2. A tied score in tennis in which each player or side has 40 points, or 5 or more games, and one player or side must win 2 successive points to win the game, or 2 successive games to win the set.

tr.v. deuced, deuc·ing, deuc·es

To make the score of (a tennis game or set) deuce.

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[Middle English deus, from Old French, two, from Latin dus, masculine accusative of duo; see dwo- in Indo-European roots.]

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deuce ²  (ds, dys) Informal

n.

1. The devil: "Love is a bodily infirmity . . . which breaks out the deuce knows how or why" (Thackeray).

2. An outstanding example, especially of something difficult or bad: had a deuce of a time getting out of town; a deuce of a family row.

3. A severe reprimand or expression of anger: got the deuce for being late.

4. Used as an intensive: What the deuce were they thinking of?

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[Probably from Low German duus, a throw of two in dice games, bad luck, ultimately from Latin duo, two; see deuce¹.]

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deuce¹

n

1. (Group Games / Card Games) (Group Games / Games, other than specified)

a.  a playing card or dice with two pips or spots; two

b.  a throw of two in dice

2. (Individual Sports & Recreations / Tennis) Tennis a tied score (in tennis 40-all) that requires one player to gain two successive points to win the game

[from Old French deus two, from Latin duos, accusative masculine of duo two]

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deuce² Informal

interj

an expression of annoyance or frustration

n

the deuce (intensifier) used in such phrases as what the deuce, where the deuce, etc.

[probably special use of deuce¹ (in the sense: lowest throw at dice)]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	deuce - a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game tie - equality of score in a contest
	2.	deuce - the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number 2, II, two digit, figure - one of the elements that collectively form a system of numeration; "0 and 1 are digits" craps, snake eyes - expressions used when when two dice are thrown and both come up showing one spot couplet, distich, duad, duet, duo, dyad, twain, twosome, brace, pair, span, yoke, couple - two items of the same kind
	3.	deuce - a word used in exclamations of confusion; "what the devil"; "the deuce with it"; "the dickens you say" dickens, devil exclaiming, exclamation - an abrupt excited utterance; "she gave an exclamation of delight"; "there was much exclaiming over it"
	4.	deuce - one of the four playing cards in a deck that have two spots two playing card - one of a pack of cards that are used to play card games

Translations

deuce¹ [djuːs] N (Tennis) → cuarenta iguales mpl, deuce m

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deuce² (o.f.) [djuːs] N a deuce of a row → un tremendo jaleo
a deuce of a mess → una terrible confusión
the deuce it is! → ¡qué demonio!
what/where the deuce ...? → ¿qué/dónde demonios ...?
to play the deuce with → estropear, echar a perder

deuce [ˈdjuːs] n (TENNIS) → égalité f

deuce¹

n

(Cards) → Zwei f

(Tennis) → Einstand m; after ten deuces → nachdem es zehnmal Einstand gegeben hatte; to be at deuce → den Einstand erreicht haben

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deuce²

n (dated inf) → Teufel m ? devil N c

deuce [djuːs] n (Tennis) → deuce m inv, quaranta pari m inv

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deuce [djuːs] n (Tennis) → deuce m inv, quaranta pari m inv