dicing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral to informal in cooking context; literary/figurative when meaning gambling/risk-taking.
Quick answer
What does “dicing” mean?
The act of cutting food into small cubes, typically around 5–10mm.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act of cutting food into small cubes, typically around 5–10mm.
Engaging in games of chance with dice; metaphorically, taking a reckless risk or gamble.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core cooking meaning. The figurative phrase 'dicing with death' is slightly more common in UK English.
Connotations
Neutral for cooking. The gambling sense carries negative connotations of foolish risk.
Frequency
The cooking term is of equal frequency. The gambling sense is low-frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “dicing” in a Sentence
[Subject] + be + dicing + [Object] (e.g., He is dicing carrots.)[Subject] + be + dicing with + [Abstract Noun] (e.g., They are dicing with disaster.)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dicing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She spent the morning dicing swedes for the stew.
- He's dicing with financial ruin.
American English
- Start by dicing the celery for the soup.
- The driver was dicing with death on the icy roads.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially metaphorical: 'The company is dicing with bankruptcy by ignoring market trends.'
Academic
Very rare except in historical texts about games of chance.
Everyday
Common in cooking instructions and recipes.
Technical
Used in culinary arts and food processing industries.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dicing”
- Using 'dicing' to mean chopping irregularly (it implies cube shapes).
- Confusing 'dicing' (verb) with 'dice' (noun plural).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Chopping is a general term for cutting. Dicing specifically means cutting into small, even cubes.
Yes, as a gerund (verbal noun). For example, 'The dicing of the vegetables took ages.'
Dicing produces cubes. Mincing produces much smaller, irregular pieces, often crushed finer than a dice.
It's a recognised, somewhat dramatic idiom, but not used in everyday casual conversation. It's more literary or journalistic.
The act of cutting food into small cubes, typically around 5–10mm.
Dicing is usually neutral to informal in cooking context; literary/figurative when meaning gambling/risk-taking. in register.
Dicing: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdaɪ.sɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdaɪ.sɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “dicing with death”
- “dicing with disaster”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DICE + ING. Imagine a chef throwing dice, and each die is a perfect cube of vegetable.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS A GAMBLE (for the risk sense). PREPARATION IS TRANSFORMATION (for the cooking sense).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'dicing' used figuratively?