dice
/daɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /daɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdīs/ (ame, mw)
dice — noun
- dicesingular
- dicesplural
1. a tiny six-sided object whose faces carry between one and six dots; players thro
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
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)
The box contains five dice, a score pad, and a set of rules written in English.
Harper's lucky die has tiny blue dots on a creamy white background.
Each player throws a single die to decide who goes first in the game.
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. a type of game in which players roll one or more dice to decide their moves, ear
a type of game in which players roll one or more dice to decide their moves, earn points, or determine the winner
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.
In many dice games, rolling a seven is the best possible outcome for the first turn.
Our family has played this dice game every New Year's Eve for three generations.
- game of chance
broader category; includes dice games but also card games, roulette, etc.
用法筆記
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').
常見錯誤
3. small square pieces that food or another material has been cut into, roughly the
small square pieces that food or another material has been cut into, roughly the size of a gaming die
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.
The chef arranged the carrot dice evenly on the baking tray before roasting them.
Renata checked that all the potato dice were roughly the same size so they would cook evenly.
dice — verb
- dicepresent simple I / you / we / they
- dices3rd person singular
- dicing-ing form
- dicedpast simple
1. in cooking, to slice ingredients into small cubes that are all roughly the same
in cooking, to slice ingredients into small cubes that are all roughly the same size
Christopher carefully diced the red bell pepper into perfect cubes for the stir-fry.
dice [food] into [shape]
Renata used a sharp knife to dice the mushrooms before adding them to the sauce.
The instructor showed the students how to dice an onion without wasting any part of it.
Mayumi diced the leftover chicken and mixed it with mayonnaise for a quick salad.
This small kitchen gadget can dice a whole carrot in under ten seconds.
文法句型
dice + noun (food)
用法筆記
In recipes, 'diced' often specifies a particular size (e.g., 'diced into 1 cm cubes'), which distinguishes it from 'chopped' (irregular pieces) or 'minced' (very fine pieces).
常見錯誤
2. to do something that is extremely dangerous and could easily result in death or
to do something that is extremely dangerous and could easily result in death or serious harm
Nikos knows he is dicing with death every time he rides his motorcycle without a helmet.
dice with death — fixed idiom in present continuous
By climbing the frozen waterfall without safety ropes, Ilan was dicing with death.
Anyone who texts while driving at high speed is dicing with death on the motorway.
Stephanie's friends told her she was dicing with death by swimming in the rough sea at night.
- take a gamble
broader — can refer to financial or career risks, not necessarily life-threatening
- risk one's life
more literal and formal; not a fixed expression
文法句型
dice with death
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in the fixed expression 'dice with death.' The form 'dice with danger' appears occasionally but is much less idiomatic. Common in British English; less familiar to American English speakers.