a playing card or dice with two pips or spots; two a throw of two in dice a tied score (in tennis 40-all) that requires one player to gain two successive points to win the game
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
deuce1 /dus, dyus/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Games a card having two marks or the number two;
a die having two dots on it:[countable]a pair of deuces. - Sport[uncountable] a situation, such as a tied score in a tennis match, in which a player must score two successive points or games to win.
deuce1
(do̅o̅s, dyo̅o̅s),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
deuce2 (do̅o̅s, dyo̅o̅s),USA pronunciation n.
- Games[Cards.]a card having two pips;
a two, or two-spot. - Games[Dice.]
- the face of a die having two pips.
- a cast or point of two.
- Sport[Tennis.]a situation, as a score of 40–40 in a game or 5–5 in a match, in which a player must score two successive points to win the game or two successive games to win the set.
- Slang Terms
- a two-dollar bill.
- the sum of two dollars.
adj.
- Games, Sport(esp. in games, sports, and gambling) two.
- Latin duōs (masculine accusative of duo)
- Anglo-French, Middle French: two
- late Middle English deus 1425–75
deuce2 (do̅o̅s, dyo̅o̅s),USA pronunciation n.
- devil;
dickens (used as a mild oath):Where the deuce did they hide it?
- apparently to be identified with deuce1 1645–55
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
an expression of annoyance or frustration
- the deuce ⇒ (intensifier)
used in such phrases as what the deuce, where the deuce, etc
'what the deuce' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):