deuce
noun/djuːs/
/duːs/
- [uncountable, countable] (in tennis) the situation when both players have 40 as a score, after which one player must win two points one after the other in order to win the gameTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsc2
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- [countable] (North American English) a playing card with two pips on it
- the deuce of clubs
- the deuce[singular] (old-fashioned, informal) used in questions to show that you are annoyed
- What the deuce is he doing?
Word Originsenses 1 to 2 late 15th cent.: from Old French deus ‘two’, from Latin duos.sense 3 mid 17th cent.: from Low German duus, probably of the same origin as deuce ‘two’ (two aces at dice being the worst throw).
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