divvy

English

Pronunciation

(UK, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪvi/
Audio (General Australian): (file)

Etymology 1

Clipping of dividend +‎ -y.

Alternative forms

divy
divvie (for noun only)

Noun

divvy (plural divvies)

(informal) A dividend; a share or portion.

Derived terms

Translations

arithmetic: a number or expression

German: Dividend (de) m

Verb

divvy (third-person singular simple present divvies, present participle divvying, simple past and past participle divvied)

(informal, transitive) To divide into portions.
We divvied the money into equal portions to split between us.
- 2006, John C. Roberts, concurrence and dissent in part in League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry, 548 U.S. 399 (2006)
  It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race.

Derived terms

divvy up

Translations

to divide into portions

French: partager (fr), diviser (fr)
German: aufteilen (de), auseinanderdividieren (de), teilen (de), dividieren (de)

Etymology 2

Originating from prison slang in the UK. A job often given to the lowest inmates was to put cardboard dividers into boxes. Someone given this job was a 'divider' or a 'div'. Now used as an insult to those who display stupidity.

Alternative forms

divvie

Noun

divvy (plural divvies)

(slang, derogatory) A foolish person.
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fool

Put it down and stop being a divvy!

Derived terms

div
divvo

Etymology 3

Adjective

divvy (comparative more divvy, superlative most divvy)

(informal, dated) Divine; very pleasant, wonderful.
- 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not... (Parade's End), Penguin, published 2012, page 36:
  ‘You'd find,’ the priest said, ‘that it whittled down until the only divvy moment was when you stood waiting in the booking-office for the young man to take the tickets.’