Definition

1. Noun:
   • A man's detachable insert (usually starched) to simulate the front of a shirt: A false shirt front, typically stiffened, worn under a jacket or waistcoat to give the appearance of a full shirt.
   • A small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater car: An auxiliary seat, often a folding one, located at the rear of certain early automobiles.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Clothing):
  • He wore a dickie under his suit jacket to save on laundry.
  • The formal attire required a starched white dickie.
• Noun (Vehicle Seat):
  • The children rode in the dickie of the vintage roadster.
  • The car's dickie was cramped but functional for short trips.

Advanced Usage

• "Ride dickie": To travel in the small rear seat of a vehicle.
  • In the old days, the youngest would often have to ride dickie.

Variants and Related Words

• Dickey (noun): An alternative spelling for 'dickie'.
• Dicky (noun): Another common variant spelling.
• Dicky bow (noun, British): A colloquial term for a bow tie, derived from 'dicky'.

Synonyms

• Shirt front (for the clothing insert).
• Bosom friend (archaic, for the clothing insert).
• Rumble seat (for the car seat, especially in American English).
• Dicky seat (for the car seat).

Related Phrases

• "All dickied up" (informal, British): Dressed smartly or formally.
  • He was all dickied up for the interview.

Notes on Meaning

The word 'dickie' is informal and now somewhat archaic. The clothing sense is rarely seen in modern fashion. The automotive sense is historical, referring to a feature of cars from the early to mid-20th century. Context is crucial to distinguish between the two primary meanings.

Noun

1. a man's detachable insert (usually starched) to simulate the front of a shirt
2. a small third seat in the back of an old-fashioned two-seater