Definition of "dyke" []

• Variant of dike1. (noun)
• Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a lesbian. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Please note: I used the term dyke with the most loving intentions."
• "Activists who are engaged in the process of defining disability may choose to use "crip" in the same way the word "dyke" is now a chosen identity for many people but was, for generations, a deep insult."
• "One of my best friends has been called a dyke and shoved into lockers -- even though she dates a boy and looked stunning in her prom dress."