Dixie

Dix-ie · proper noun

imported

Definitions

proper noun

  1. 1.

    An informal name for the southern states of the United States, especially those that formed the Confederacy.

  2. 2.

    A feminine given name.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    Dixieland — A style of jazz originating in New Orleans.
  • •
    Whistling Dixie — (Slang) Engaging in unrealistic fantasy.

Related words

See also: Confederate, south
Synonyms: Southern states, the South

Etymology

Origin uncertain. Possibly from the Mason-Dixon Line (the boundary between free and slave states), or from Louisiana banknotes printed with French "dix" (ten) on them, or from a New York slang term. First attested in the 1850s.