student asking question

What does "dude" mean? Also, what's the origin of the word?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Good question! Today, "dude" is a word used to informally refer to a person who is a young man. Although it's not for certain, the word may be derived from the 18th-century word "doodle," related to the American expression "Yankee Doodle Dandy". In media in the late 19th century, "dude" was a new word for "dandy"—an "extremely well-dressed male", a man who paid particular importance to his appearance. Today, you can use "dude" to casually refer to any person who is a young man. Ex: Dude, that's sick! Ex: Look at that dude over there with the cool motorcycle.

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