dice

dice — noun

1. a tiny six-sided object whose faces carry between one and six dots; players thro

1.nounA2
Definition

a tiny six-sided object whose faces carry between one and six dots; players throw it in games to obtain a random result that decides what happens next

Example

Walid rolled the dice and got a six, which let him move his piece forward.

roll the dice + common collocation

Naoko picked up two dice, shook them in her cupped hands, and threw them onto the board.

throw dice; two dice (irregular plural)

Common collocations
  • roll the dice
  • throw the dice
  • a pair of dice
  • lucky dice
  • loaded dice
Synonyms
  • die

    the proper singular form; much less common in everyday speech

  • cube

    focuses only on the shape, not on the spots or the gaming function

Usage Note

The singular form 'die' is used mainly in formal or traditional contexts ('the die is cast'); in everyday speech, 'dice' often functions as both singular and plural ('hand me that dice'). The idioms 'no dice' (meaning 'no' or 'impossible') and 'load the dice' (meaning to put someone at a hidden disadvantage) are based on this sense.

Common Mistakes

I found a dices on the floor.
I found a die on the floor.
'dice' is already plural; to refer to one piece, use 'die' or treat 'dice' as singular ('a dice').

2. a type of game in which players roll one or more dice to decide their moves, ear

2.nounA2
Definition

a type of game in which players roll one or more dice to decide their moves, earn points, or determine the winner

Example

The children spent the whole rainy afternoon playing dice on the living room floor.

play dice — fixed phrase

Reema taught her younger brother a simple dice game that only needs two cubes and a sheet of paper.

Common collocations
  • play dice
  • a dice game
  • win at dice
Synonyms
  • game of chance

    broader category; includes dice games but also card games, roulette, etc.

Usage Note

When 'dice' refers to the game itself, it is uncountable: 'Dice is a game of luck.' Compare with the countable object sense ('the dice are on the table').

Common Mistakes

We played a dice.
We played dice.
'dice' as a game is uncountable and takes no article.

3. small square pieces that food or another material has been cut into, roughly the

3.nounB1
Definition

small square pieces that food or another material has been cut into, roughly the size of a gaming die

Example

The recipe says to cut the potatoes into small dice before adding them to the hot soup.

cut [noun] into dice — common cooking instruction

Tunde placed the carrot dice and onion dice into a large bowl with olive oil.

Common collocations
  • cut into dice
  • small dice
  • potato dice
  • carrot dice
Synonyms
  • cubes

    more general term that does not imply the same exact size or cooking purpose

  • chunks

    irregularly shaped pieces, not neatly squared like dice

Idioms

no dice

idiom

used informally to refuse a request or to say that something is not possible or will not happen

I asked my boss for Friday off, but she said no dice because three people are already on leave that day.

The team tried to persuade the bank to lower the interest rate, but it was no dice in the end.

load the dice (against somebody)

idiom

to put someone at an unfair disadvantage in a situation, often by secretly changing the rules or conditions

The exam was so hard that many students felt the dice were loaded against them from the start.

Critics say the new tax law loads the dice in favour of large corporations over small businesses.

load the dice (against/in favour of somebody)

idiom

To make a situation unfair by giving one side an advantage or disadvantage.

Maya felt the dice were loaded against her from the start.

Did the company load the dice in favor of its own team?

dice — verb

Word family

  • die
    nounB1
  • diced
    adjectiveB1
  • dicer
    nounC1
  • dicing
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe cutting food into smaller pieces, but they differ in the size and shape of the result. 'Dice' and 'cube' both produce neat, even square pieces of roughly the same size — 'dice' is the standard instruction in recipes ('dice the onion'), while 'cube' is slightly less common and often used for larger pieces ('cube the beef into 2 cm chunks'). 'Chop' is looser: the pieces can be irregular in shape and size, making it the most common everyday verb ('chop the garlic'). 'Mince' produces the finest result — very small pieces, almost a paste, as with garlic or ginger ('mince the garlic finely'). In many recipes you will see them layered: first chop the onion coarsely, then dice it for a finer texture, and finally mince the garlic into a paste.

dice ↗cube ↗chop ↗mince

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • finely

Phrases

  • a pair of dice
  • roll the dice
  • throw the dice
  • cut into dice
  • play dice
  • dice with death

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'dice' has two histories that both trace to the same gaming origin. The gaming sense came into Middle English from Old French 'dez' (plural of 'de'), which itself came from Latin 'datum', meaning 'something given' — in ancient Rome, the outcome of a die roll was seen as a decree of fate. The singular 'die' was formed later by mistaking the final 's' of 'dice' for a plural marker. The cooking sense (cutting into cubes) appeared in the 14th century, named after the cube shape of gaming dice. The idiomatic 'dice with death' emerged in the early 20th century, likening a dangerous act to a gamble with one's life.