dick1
/dɪk
/noun vulgar slang
1A man’s penis.
1.1British A stupid or contemptible man.
2 [mass noun, with negative] North American Anything at all.
verb chiefly North American
1 [no object] informal Waste time; mess around.
2 [with object] (Of a man) have sexual intercourse with.
Origin
Mid 16th century (in the general sense 'fellow'): pet form of the given name Richard. Sense 1 of the noun dates from the late 18th century.
Rhymes
dick2
/dɪk/noun informal, dated, chiefly North American
A detective.Our city's private dicks are mostly double-dipping police pensioners....
- Williams agrees and Kelso becomes a private dick, trying to work out the details of the murder and to free Williams, for whom he has developed a good bit of respect and admiration.
- The image of a private dick gazing out his office window, a Lucky in one and a stiff drink in the other, is nearly a cliche.
Origin
Early 20th century: perhaps an arbitrary shortening of detective, or from obsolete slang dick 'look', from Romany.