dixie

¹

[ dik-see ]

noun

, Indian English.

1. a large iron pot, especially a 12-gallon camp kettle used by the British Army.

Dixie

²

[ dik-see ]

noun

1. Also called Dixieland, the southern states of the United States, especially those that were formerly part of the Confederacy.
2. (italics) any of several songs with this name, especially the minstrel song (1859) by D. D. Emmett, popular as a Confederate war song.
3. a female given name.

adjective

1. of, from, or characteristic of the southern states of the United States.

dixie

¹

/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

1. military a large metal pot for cooking, brewing tea, etc
2. a mess tin

dixie

²

/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

1. dialect.
   a lookout

Dixie

³

/ ˈdɪksɪ /

noun

1. Also calledDixieland the southern states of the US; the states that joined the Confederacy during the Civil War
2. a song adopted as a marching tune by the Confederate states during the American Civil War

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the southern states of the US

“Dixie”

1. An American song of the nineteenth century. It was used to build enthusiasm for the South during the Civil War and still is treated this way in the southern states. It was written for use in the theater by a northerner, Daniel Decatur Emmett. As usually sung today, “Dixie” begins:

   I wish I was in the land of cotton;

   Old times there are not forgotten:

   Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dixie¹

1895–1900; < Hindi dēgcī, diminutive of dēgcā pot

Origin of dixie²

1855–60, Americanism; often said to be (Mason-)Dix(on line) + -ie

Word History and Origins

Origin of dixie¹

C19: from Hindi degcī, diminutive of degcā pot

Origin of dixie²

C19: perhaps from the nickname of New Orleans, from dixie a ten-dollar bill printed there, from French dix ten

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. whistle Dixie, to indulge in unrealistically optimistic fantasies.

Example Sentences

After building their own human pyramid, the plebes will attempt to replace a sailor’s “dixie cup” hat with an upperclassman’s hat.

From Washington Times

On Thursday, Grammy-winning country group, The Dixie Chicks announced it would drop “dixie” from its name.

From Seattle Times

I fetch a dixie and wood from the hut and we crawl into a small deserted lean-to which we use for such purposes.

From Literature

I’m an afro American and no I don’t wish I was in dixie..

From Los Angeles Times

The 1981 case broke the Klan in the heart of dixie.

From Wall Street Journal

More About Dixie

Why is Dixie trending?

On June 25, 2020, searches for Dixie increased 2,048% compared to the previous week after the popular country music band the Dixie Chicks announced it was changing its name to just the Chicks.

More information on Dixie

The term Dixie is an informal name for the states in the U.S. South, especially those that seceded and formed the Confederacy. Dixie is generally thought to be based on the Mason-Dixon Line, a boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland popularly considered to divide the states that did and did not enslave people before the abolition of slavery.

Amid growing awareness of systemic racism in the U.S. following the George Floyd protests, the association of Dixie with the Confederate States, slavery, and blackface prompted the Dixie Chicks to drop Dixie from their name. Other brands featuring Dixie in their name have also been considering name changes.

In a similar move, another country music group, Lady Antebellum, changed their name to Lady A due to the close association of antebellum, meaning “before the Civil War,” with slavery.