duppy
Contents
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Jamaica, circa 18th century. From Bube dupe (“ghost”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
duppy (plural duppies)
- (Caribbean) A ghost or spirit, often appearing in the form of a dog barking or howling through the night.
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1774, Long, Edward, The History of Jamaica[1], volume 2, page 416:
- They firmly believe in the apparition of spectres. Those of deceased friends are duppies; others, of more hostile and tremendous aspect, like our raw-head-and-bloody-bones, are called bugaboos.
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Synonyms[edit]
- See Thesaurus:ghost
Derived terms[edit]
Derived terms
Verb[edit]
duppy (third-person singular simple present duppies, present participle duppying, simple past and past participle duppied)
- (MLE, transitive) To kill; to murder.
- 2008, Kingsley Ogundele, online message quoted in 2010 January 27, Rob Sharp, "CSI: Chatroom", The Independent
- He refers to his intention to kill a schoolgirl pregnant with Jolie's unborn baby – who the pair believe is giving Jolie undue hassle. "I'll get da fiend to duppy her den," he writes.
- 2011, Alex Wheatle, The Dirty South, Profile Books →ISBN, page 176
- He duppied my bredren and as long as I could remember Paps was telling me not to trust the Feds.
- 2008, Kingsley Ogundele, online message quoted in 2010 January 27, Rob Sharp, "CSI: Chatroom", The Independent
- (MLE, by extension, transitive) To excel in.
- 2011, Kano, guest on Lethal Bizzle, "Pow 2011"
- I duppied every rave.
- 2011, Kano, guest on Lethal Bizzle, "Pow 2011"
Synonyms[edit]
- (to kill): see Thesaurus:kill