Definition of "dude"

A very pretty little dudine of Fifth Avenue is much admired by the dudes in her neighborhood, and it has been observed on several occasions that she appeared to be able to discriminate between them, and not only shows a preference for one dude over another; but is able to recognize the dudes she likes after an interval of separation. It is said, also, that in accepting the attentions of her dude wooers, she shows a peculiar mimicry of the coquettish manners of human girls.

1883 March 7, “Animal Intelligence: Facts Tending to Throw Light on the Question: ‘Do Dudes Reason?’”, in Puck, volume XIII, number 313, New York, N.Y.: Keppler & Schwarzmann, page 299

At first sight it may seem odd that the character-reader should in any case declare himself incapable of distinguishing sex in writing. […] The most prevalent reason for this probably lies in the so-called "emancipation of women," who, on aping the masculine pursuits and propensities, really acquire the virile tone of character. In a similar way the "dude" of the day becomes androgynous; and the result in one case is a masculine soul in a woman's shape, and in the other a feminine soul in the degraded form of the so-called "dude".

1896, J. Harington Keene, “Directions for Reading Character from Handwriting”, in The Mystery of Handwriting: A Handbook of Graphology, Boston, Mass.: Lee and Shepard Publishers, 10 Milk Street, page 19

At first Europeans didn't realize what chocolate could be—poor guys! [Christopher] Columbus saw cacao beans in 1503, but he didn't have a clue. (No surprise—dude thought he was in India!)

2014, Tim J. Myers, “Choc Rocks”, in Rude Dude's Book of Food: Stories behind Some of the Crazy-Cool Stuff We Eat, [Sanger, Calif.]: Familius

Though the term "dude" originated as a term to describe a certain type of male, and then later to refer to men in general, today it is often used to refer to both genders, at least in certain parts of the United States. Dudeism doesn't recognize "dude" as a gender-specific word. We consider both women and men who exhibit dude-like qualities to be "dudes," and assert that the word "dude" can mean many different things depending on the context.

2016, Oliver Benjamin, “Additional Notes from the Author”, in The Dude De Ching, new annotated edition, [s.l.]: Abide University Press; Dudeism, LLC

The session concluded as Josh, disgusted and surprised, yelled, "Dude, you hit like a girl!" The boys in auto shop drew on images of both femininity—"you hit like a girl"—and bisexuality—"I'll show you a switch hitter." (A bisexual man was often referred to as a "switch hitter" or as someone who "played for both teams.")

2011, C. J. Pascoe, “Becoming Mr. Cougar: Institutionalizing Heterosexuality and Masculinity at River High”, in Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Calif.: University of California Press, page 37

Dollie. […] [W]hen I went I had a proposal of marriage. / Silas. Who from, Dollie? / Dollie. Why, from a man— / Silas. Oh! I thought it was from a dude. / Dollie. Not this time.]

[1896, George H. Hamilton, Sunlight; or, The Diamond King. A Western Drama, in Four Acts (Ames' Series of Standard and Minor Drama; no. 372), Clyde, Oh.: Ames' Publishing Co., page 14

Dudes are at least as entertaining as cows, even when they don't mean to be. A cow can’t voice that honestly curious question that turns a poor cowboy into a laughing fool the way a dude can. Probably nothing in the world can move a cowboy more than a newborn calf's clean, good looks and actions, unless it’s the look of awe on a little dude’s face the first time it sees a cowboy on a horse.

2006 July–August, J. P. S. Brown, “Hard to Replace: Bill Scott Knows the Value of a Good Horse, a Good Customer, and a Way of Life”, in American Cowboy, Sheridan, Wy.: American Cowboy, pages 74 and 76

The "dudes" are the automobile and bus tourists, mere passers-through: thousands a summer day, millions a season. […] "Dude" expresses perfectly the image that seasonals from the stagecoach driver to the gas-pump jockey have had of tourists: soft, wealthy, uninitiated, ignorant, lowland and (preferably) eastern. […] For the average dude – if such a construct may be admitted – the park is an unusual commodity, financed by his taxes, from which he is therefore entitled to extract as much use and pleasure as he can from the rangers and seasonals who stand in his way.

2011, Richard W. Bevis, “Mi Tsi A-da-zi”, in Dudes and Savages: The Resonance of Yellowstone, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Trafford Publishing, page 32

"Dude" was originally a name for ranch vacationers with no disrespect attached, but it later became derisively associated with clueless easterners who knew nothing of Western ways, as portrayed by Bob Hope in Son of Paleface (1952). Junior's fiancé[sic – meaning fiancée] (Jane Russell) tells him to "go out West." When Junior (Bob Hope) wants to show that he has become a Westerner, he wears a tall outsized white hat like Tom Mix and white wooly chaps, the traditional movie outfit representing an eastern dude. A female dude was known as a "dudess" or "dudine."

2014, Jeremy Agnew, “The Image Persists”, in The Creation of the Cowboy Hero: Fiction, Film and Fact, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, page 212

When the dude dons gloves couleur de chien jaune éclairé de la lune—[the colour of a yellow dog lighted by the moon]

1883 March 7, “Signs of Spring”, in Puck, volume XIII, number 313, New York, N.Y.: Keppler & Schwarzmann, page 21

There are three kinds of dudes in New York. There is the inanimate rich dude who don't want to do a thing on earth but exhibit himself. Then there is the poor dude, who dresses like the rich dude, and who wants to marry a rich girl […]

1889, Melville D[e Lancey] Landon, “Eli Perkins’ Dudes”, in Wit and Humor of the Age, Comprising Wit, Humor, Pathos, Ridicule, Satires, Dialects, Puns, Conundrums, Riddles, Charades, Jokes and Magic: By Mark Twain, Josh Billings, Robt. J[ones] Burdette, Alex. Sweet, Eli Perkins: With the Philosophy of Wit and Humor, Chicago, Ill.: G. Cline Pub. House, page 246

And, feckin' A, you ain't never gonna guess this one—dude! […] Thinking this is a little worse than me watching porn. Dude.

2011, Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever: A Novel (The Fever Series; 5), New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press

"Where you been, Mac? I missed you! Dude—I mean, man," she corrects hastily, with a gamine grin, before I can make good on a threat I made in what feels like another lifetime that I would call her by her full name if she ever "duded" me again. […] Oh, yes, she's upset. She just unapologetically "duded" me.

2011, Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever (The Fever Series; 5), New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press

The other two guys with him burst into laughter, dudeing and high-fiving like mad.

2013, Maurene Goo, Since You Asked …, New York, N.Y.: Scholastic Press

After the high fives comes a lot of dude-ing and hugging and I'm-so-happy-to-see-you-ing, and then the sugarcoating of seeing one another again sort of dissolves and we find ourselves in this dinky screening room thing under the eyes of our captors.

2015, Chris Weitz, “Donna”, in The New Order, New York, N.Y., Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown and Company

The Old Hearst Ranch […] is one of the West's largest and most elaborate dude ranches and includes over 500 acres of woodland trails. There's "dudeing" with all the trimmings, excellent food and rooms at the lodge or individual cabanas.

1949, Fortnight: The Newsmagazine of California, [Los Angeles, Calif.]: O.D. Keep Associates, page 22, column 3

I am certainly interested in this "dude community" business just because I have tried it in the slightest kind of way. In camping it's "the fewer the better," but in "dudeing" it may be "the more the merrier."

2001, Janice Sanford Beck, “Tepee Life in the Northern Hills (1924)”, in No Ordinary Woman: The Story of Mary Schäffer Warren, Surrey, B.C.: Rocky Mountain Books, page 182

It seemed that the fellas couldn't get enough girlin' and racing fast cars and grooving to rock and dudeing around in city-slick suits from St. Louis.

1980, John G. Mitchell, The Hunt, New York, N.Y.: Knopf, page 229

"Speaking of being duded out …" He shrugged, then handed her the bag. "Here. This is for you." / She reached inside and gasped as she pulled out a white suede western style hat. A glittering gold braid encircled the brim. / "Oh, Zack! It's beautiful. Thank you."

1994, Sydell I. Voeller, chapter 8, in Her Sister's Keeper, New York, N.Y.: Avalon Press, ISBN 978-0-8034-9063-5; republished Amherst Junction, Wis.: Hard Shell Word Factory, February 2002, ISBN 978-0-7599-0223-7, page 81

"Ol' Clint's all duded up, too," Cully announced as Savannah opened the door to the only Culhane she had eyes for. "All duded up" meant Clint had on a pair of gray slacks that no Savile Row tailor could have made fit any better; a crisp, blindingly white Western dress shirt with pearl snaps down the front; and a black string tie held together with a small silver CC […]

1998, Victoria Pade, Cowboy's Love (Silhouette Special Edition; 1159), New York, N.Y.: Silhouette Books