Possibly derived from Boudicca (Bou-dyke-ah),
a Celtic queen who organized a revolt
against the Roman Empire in 67 A.D.,
this empowered woman was seen as a threat to
the power structure. Later, as its connotation
changed to refer to lesbians, a harsh stigma
remained. In order to take the punch out of the
word, Dyke has been reclaimed by some
lesbians. Even today, even at Vassar,
said in a hurtful manner, it can
be a painful word.
Main Entry: 2dyke
Pronunciation: 'dIk
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: circa 1942
: LESBIAN -- often used disparagingly
- dykey /'dI-kE/ adjective
