As rhyming slang the expression has been in use since the late 19th century, but it arose as an elaboration of dicky, which is far older. They found the address of the local representative, rang him …

The meaning of DICKEY is any of various articles of clothing.

Dec 19, 2025 · dicky (comparative dickier, superlative dickiest) (colloquial) In bad condition; weak, faulty, unreliable, doubtful, troublesome. quotations He had a dicky heart.

Definition of 'dicky' dicky in American English (ˈdɪki ) adjective Word forms: ˈdickier or ˈdickiest

DICKY definition: a variant of dickey. See examples of dicky used in a sentence.

informal Brit in bad condition; shaky, unsteady, or unreliable: I feel a bit dicky today.

Definition of dicky adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

There are 19 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun dicky, seven of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

"Dicky" is a British English slang term that can have various meanings depending on context. It can refer to a collapsible or removable shirtfront or it could refer to something that is broken or in poor …

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English dick‧y1 /ˈdɪki/ adjective British English old-fashioned weak, and likely to break or not work properly dicky heart/ticker (=a heart that is weak and not very …