tyke. A small child, especially a boy.
The Oxford English Dictionary informs us that it is originally a contemptuous term for a low bred or coarse dog, its usage similar to that of “cur.” And, “Also said in playful reproof to a child; hence (unreprovingly)” So it is a playful insult, though I doubt that most U.S. English speakers are aware of the opprobrious original usage. |
1. The Oxford English Dictionary Online. 2005. 3d ed. Accessed from http://dictionary.oed.com.
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