Definition

Noun (British slang): A quick look or glance; an act of looking at something.

Usage

• Used informally, primarily in British English, to mean taking a brief look at something.
• Often appears in the phrase "have/take a dekko."
• Considered colloquial and somewhat dated.

Examples

• "Take a dekko at this old photograph I found."
• "I'll just have a quick dekko at the engine to see what's wrong."
• "He had a dekko out the window to check the weather."

Advanced Usage

• "to have/take a dekko (at something)": The standard construction for using this word.
  • Why don't you have a dekko at the instructions?
• The word can imply a casual, curious, or investigative glance.

Variants and Related Words

• Dekko itself is a slang variant. There is no standard verb form (e.g., "to dekko" is non-standard and very rare).
• The word is believed to originate from the Hindi word "dekho," the imperative form of "to look."

Synonyms

• Look: The standard, neutral term.
• Glance: A very brief look.
• Gander (informal): Another informal term for a look.
• Squint (informal): A quick look.

Antonyms

• Stare: A long, fixed look.
• Ignore: To refuse to look at or pay attention to.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Cast an eye over": To examine something briefly.
• "Take a butcher's" (Cockney rhyming slang: butcher's hook = look): Another British slang phrase for having a look.

Noun

1. British slang for a look