deuce

Everyday

1. In tennis, deuce is the score when both players have 40 points, so one must win two points in a row to win the game. tree →
2. A playing card or a dice face with the number two on it. tree →
3. (old-fashioned) A mild word for the devil, used to show surprise or annoyance: «What the deuce?» tree →

In the lessons

Used in sport (tennis), card games and old-fashioned stories. It tells the reader the score is level in tennis, or about the number two in games.

Examples

• The score was deuce, and the crowd went quiet. tree →
• After three deuces, she finally won the game. tree →
• He played the deuce of hearts. tree →
• I rolled a deuce, so I moved two squares. tree →
• «What the deuce is going on here?» asked the old captain. tree →
• They went back to deuce again and again. tree →
• Where the deuce can the house be? tree →

Note

In tennis the order is love (0), 15, 30, 40, then deuce if tied at 40; after deuce comes «advantage». The swear use is old and mild, found in old books. In card maths a deuce counts as 2.