Definition

Noun: 1. The playing card with two pips: One of the four cards in a standard deck that is marked with two symbols (hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades). 2. The side of a die showing two spots: The face of a die marked with two dots. 3. The score of 40-all in tennis: A tied score in a game of tennis where each player or side has won at least three points and the score is tied at 40-40. From this point, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game. 4. A tie in table tennis: A tied game situation, similar to tennis, requiring two consecutive points to win. 5. The number two. 6. An expression of annoyance or emphasis (informal, dated): A mild expletive used to express confusion, surprise, or annoyance, often as a euphemism for "devil."

Usage Examples

• As a playing card:
  • He drew the deuce of clubs from the deck.
  • In many card games, the deuce is the lowest-ranking card.
• As a die face:
  • She rolled a deuce on her first turn.
• In tennis:
  • The game went to deuce three times before she finally won it.
  • After a long rally, he managed to get the advantage after deuce.
• As an exclamation (informal):
  • "What the deuce is going on here?" he shouted.
  • The deuce you say! I don't believe it.

Advanced Usage

• "The deuce to pay": Serious trouble or consequences to face.
  • If we get caught, there will be the deuce to pay.
• "The deuce take it/him/them!": An exclamation of strong annoyance (archaic).
  • The deuce take this stubborn lock!
• "Deuce a bit": Not at all (archaic).
  • He cared deuce a bit about the rules.

Variants and Related Words

• Deuced (adjective/adverb, archaic/informal): Confounded; damned. Used for emphasis.
  • That was a deuced clever trick.
  • It's deuced cold outside.

Synonyms

• Two: The number.
• Devil/Dickens (informal, in exclamatory contexts): As in "What the devil?" or "What the dickens?"
• Forty-all (Tennis): Specifically for the score.

Related Phrases

• "To play the deuce with something": To ruin, disrupt, or cause havoc with something.
  • The sudden rain played the deuce with our picnic plans.

Noun

1. one of the four playing cards in a deck that have two spots
2. a word used in exclamations of confusion
   • what the devil
   • the deuce with it
   • the dickens you say
3. the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
4. a tie in tennis or table tennis that requires winning two successive points to win the game