| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| dice (n., v.) |
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| Dice is the plural, die is one singular, and dice is also a Standard singular form. A pair of dice usually takes a singular verb. We keep the singular die primarily in the cliché “The die is cast,” and in tool and die (the plural of which is dies) work. The verb dice means “to play gambling games with dice,” and it also has a figurative use meaning “to cut up (vegetables) into small cubes shaped like dice.” Those cubes are sometimes referred to by a curious noun plural, limited mainly to cookbooks: dices (Dice the carrots, and simmer the dices in a cup of stock). See DIE; FOREIGN PLURALS. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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