dearie

• deary

From dear +‎ -ie.

• (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪəɹi/

  • Audio (Southern England):

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• (General American, mirror–nearer merger) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪɹi/
• (US, without the mirror–nearer merger) IPA^(key): /ˈdɪɚi/, /ˈdiɹi/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈdiɹɪ/, /ˈdiɹe/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈdiəɹi/
• (East Anglia, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈdɛːɹi/
• Rhymes: -ɪəɹi
• Homophones: deary; dairy (cheer–chair merger)

dearie (plural dearies)

1. (colloquial, chiefly as a term of address) A person who is dear; sweetie.
   • 1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 43:

     At the mention of money Mrs Dibble was overcome with great debility, and wheezed, "I don't feel up to talking about money, matters just now, dearie. I think I better have a bit of a doze."

• aeried, readie, rediae