What does divvy mean?
Divvy is an informal English word used both as a noun and a verb, centered on the idea of dividing things into shares. As a verb, most often appearing in the phrase 'divvy up', it means to split something — money, food, tasks, or responsibilities — among several people: 'Let's divvy up the bill.' The rarer noun form refers to an individual's share or portion of whatever has been divided. The word originated as nineteenth-century slang, likely from underworld cant describing the division of stolen goods, and it retains a casual, colloquial flavor that suits informal conversation rather than formal writing. Despite its scrappy origins, 'divvy' has become thoroughly mainstream, appearing in workplace talk, family life, and journalism alike. Its brevity and rhythm make it a lively alternative to blander terms like 'divide' or 'distribute', and it carries a faintly cheerful connotation of fairness and cooperation in sharing things out.
A share or portion of something that has been divided, especially money.
"Everyone got their fair divvy of the settlement."
Somewhat dated compared to the verb; chiefly British and Australian informal usage.
To divide and distribute something into shares (usually followed by 'up' or 'out').
"The siblings divvied up their grandmother's jewelry."
Almost always takes the particle 'up'; 'divvy out' also occurs but is less frequent.
Standard plural for the noun sense; rarely needed since the word usually refers to a single share.
"The crew argued over their divvies long after the job was done."
'Divvy' began as thieves' cant in Victorian England — criminals splitting stolen loot would 'divvy up' the takings, and the slang stuck so well that boardrooms use it today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of divvy
Divvy arose in nineteenth-century Britain as slang, most likely a clipped or altered form of 'divide'. It appears to have circulated first in thieves' cant, where it described splitting the proceeds of a crime among accomplices. From there it spread into general colloquial use on both sides of the Atlantic, eventually settling into its modern role as an informal verb of distribution. It shares its ultimate root with Latin-derived words such as 'divide', 'division', and 'dividend', all tracing back to the Latin verb 'dividere', meaning to force apart or separate.
Related word forms
How divvy is actually used
Informal register throughout; common in everyday British and American speech. Almost always used with 'up' when verbal ('divvy up'), and the noun is now less common than the verb. In British English, 'divvy' can also be dated slang for a foolish person, though this sense is largely obsolete.
Easily confused with divvy
'Divey' is an informal adjective describing a place that resembles a dive bar, whereas 'divvy' relates to dividing or sharing.