DEUCE
What does "DEUCE" mean?
In tennis, the score of 40-all, from which one side must win two consecutive points.
Meanings
- A tied score of 40-40 in tennis, requiring a two-point margin to win the game. They reached deuce five times before she finally took the game. technical
- A playing card or die showing two. He was dealt a deuce and a king and decided to bluff.
- The devil or bad luck, used in mild exclamations. What the deuce do you think you're doing? archaic
Did you know?
- Tennis 'deuce' comes from the French 'a deux (le jeu)' - 'two (points to win) the game' - which is why deuce never ends until someone leads by two.
Word origin
From Old French 'deus' (two), from Latin 'duos'; the 'devil' sense likely grew from a low dice throw of two being the worst, unluckiest roll.
Remember it
DEUCE comes from French 'deux', meaning two - and at deuce you need exactly two more points to win.
A little poem
Forty all, and the crowd leans in to stay-
no single stroke can carry the day;
the rule asks twice before it lets you away.
tercet
Wordplay
- Why is two the unluckiest number at the table? Because no matter the game, it always comes up deuce.
What it teaches
Some wins demand you prove it twice: a single good moment is not yet a lead.
Quick facts
What does DEUCE mean?
In tennis, the score of 40-all, from which one side must win two consecutive points.
Is DEUCE a valid word?
Yes — DEUCE is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is DEUCE?
DEUCE has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does DEUCE come from?
From Old French 'deus' (two), from Latin 'duos'; the 'devil' sense likely grew from a low dice throw of two being the worst, unluckiest roll.
What can DEUCE teach us?
Some wins demand you prove it twice: a single good moment is not yet a lead.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.