English Explanatory Dictionary

dandy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.
  2. Something excellent in its class.
  3. A yawl, or a small after-sail on a yawl.
  4. A dandy roller.
  5. A small glass of whisky.
  6. A horse-drawn railway carriage used on some branch lines.
adj
  1. Like a dandy, foppish.
  2. Very good; better than expected but not as good as could be.
  3. Excellent; first-rate.
noun
  1. A boatman, a rower.
  2. A Shaiva mendicant who carries a small rod.
  3. An open sedan chair formed by suspending a rudimentary frame or strong cloth from a pole or set of poles.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. Clipping of Dandenong.
  3. The Dandenong Ranges.

Pronunciation

/ˈdæn.di/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-dandy.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-dandy.wav

Word forms

dandy dandies dandier dandiest dandi dandie dandee Dandys

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots dandy (“a fop; one who is well-dressed”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Dandy, a diminutive of Andrew, yet the Scots word is used also in reference to women. Alternatively, possibly a back-formation of Scots dandilly, dandillie (“one who is spoiled or pampered; a "pet"”). Compare English dandle and dander.

Synonyms

barbermonger beau blade blood buck carpet knight cockscomb dandy dike dood dude dudelet exquisite fashionable fast man fine gentleman fop foretop fribble gallant go jack-a-dandy Jemmy-Jessamy jetter macaroni masher metrosexual mignon petit maître popinjay pretty boy prig puss-gentleman smart spark spiff swell tippy toff beauish buckish coxcombical dandiacal dandified dandyish dandyistic dudish foppish foppy lily-handed macaronic swellish Woosterian all very well well and good ace admirable amazing awe-inspiring awesome

Antonyms

puritan untidy person

Related words

boulevardier man about town beautiful man flirt sensualist foppish idler dandy-wallah randy-dandy

Derived words

apple dandy dandification dandify dandizette dandy brush dandy cart dandydom dandyess dandy fever dandyish dandyism dandyize dandy line dandyling dandy roller dandily dandiness dandy as candy dandy-horse dandy horse dandy roll dandy-roll dandy-roller dandy shandy dandy stick dandy up fine and dandy fine and dandy like sour candy handy dandy handy-dandy jack-a-dandy jim dandy jim-dandy Dandy-Walker malformation Dandy-Walker syndrome
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on D Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary