tykes

Noun

tyke (plural tykes)

1. (dialectal) A mongrel dog.
   • It was the day of warlocks and apparitions, now happily driven out by the zeal of the General Assembly. Witches pursued their wanchancy calling, bairns were spirited away, young lassies selled their souls to the Evil One, and the Accuser of the Brethren, in the shape of a black tyke, was seen about...1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

   Synonyms:

   mongrel, mutt

2. (colloquial) A small child, especially a cheeky or mischievous one.
   • Manipulative little tyke I was.1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 146
   1. (Canada, colloquial) Designating an initiation level of sports competition for young children.
3. (UK, dated) An uncultured, crude and unrefined or uncouth ill-bred person.
   • Why, the inquiry thing, the yellow-dog thing—you wouldn’t think a mangy, native tyke would be allowed to trip up people in the verandah of a magistrate’s court, would you?1900, Joseph Conrad, chapter 5, in Lord Jim
4. (UK, informal) A person from Yorkshire; a Yorkshireman or Yorkshirewoman.

See all 8 meanings of tyke