tyke

See also: Tyke and tykę

English

Alternative forms

• tike

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English tike, tyke, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old Norse tík (“bitch”). Compare modern Icelandic tík (“bitch, female dog”), Faroese tík (“bitch, female dog”), Swedish tik (“bitch, female dog”). For sense 5, early 20th century: alteration of Taig.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /taɪk/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪk

Noun

tyke (plural tykes)

1. (dialectal) A mongrel dog.
2. (colloquial) A small child, especially a cheeky or mischievous one
   1. (Canada) An initiation level of sports competition for young children (Can we add an example for this sense?)
3. (dated, chiefly British) A crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement
4. (UK, informal) A person from Yorkshire; a Yorkshireman or Yorkshirewoman
5. (Australia, New Zealand, informal, derogatory) A Roman Catholic

Synonyms

• (mongrel dog): mongrel, mutt
• (slang: small child): ankle-biter, nipper, tot

Related terms

• Tyke

Translations

a mongrel dog

• Finnish: sekaroituinen koira
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• French: bâtard (fr) m

a child, especially a boy

• Finnish: vintiö (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Turkish: haydut (tr)

References

“tyke”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Anagrams

• Kyte, kyte, tyek