kike

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Pronunciations

kike (KYEK) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A derogatory slur for a Jewish person.

Example Sentences

  • "You should never call a Jew a kike, it is highly offensive and rude."

  • "I remember the first time I threw a punch. I was in the lunch line in third grade, and a kid in my class, Will, called me a kike.For those unfamiliar with the term's usage, calling a Jewish person a kike isn't wildly dissimilar from calling a person of African descent the n-word." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • English

Etymology

  • unclear; a dominant theory is that it comes from Yiddish קײַקל‎ kaykl 'circle' as Jews that immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century would sign papers with a circle as opposed to the more common X. 

      • Who Uses This

      • Antisemites

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).

      Alternative Spellings

      kyke

Notes

  • Less frequent today, this word was a common insult for Jews in the early to mid-20th century, both by non-Jews and by German Jews referring to Eastern European Jews.

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