ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dixie

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈdɪksi// UK //dˈɪksi// dix·ie Informal

n. a large metal pot used by soldiers to cook or carry food. It is usually big enough to feed a whole group of people.

n. a large iron or tin cooking pot used by military personnel for preparing or transporting communal meals.


SIMPLE

The cook filled the dixie with hot stew for the troops.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long day of training, the soldiers lined up to receive their rations from a steaming dixie.

COMPLEX

The logistical challenge of the campaign was evident in the battered state of every dixie and kettle the regiment possessed after months in the field.

Synonyms
Origin

First attested in 1859. Unknown, but may come from the Mason-Dixon line, the boundary between the northern states and the southern states, or from the slang term dixie for a Louisiana $10 bill (equivalent to English tenner), in turn from French dix (ten).

Usage

Primarily used in British and Commonwealth military contexts; less common in modern civilian English.

Idioms1 entry

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