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degen

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Degen¹

Where it comes from

* As a German and Alemannic German surname, from the noun Degen (“boy warrior, hero”).

* As a German and Dutch surname, shortened from names like Degenhard, Degenhold, etc., with the same meaning as the above.

In isolated cases it can also be from Degen (“rapier”), for someone who made or wore such weapons, and from Middle High German dechen (“dean”, modern German Dechant).

proper noun Degens

  1. A surname from German.

degen²

  • /ˈdeɪɡən/

Rhymes with -eɪɡən

Where it comes from

From German Degen (“dagger”).

noun degens · degan · dagen

  1. UK, obsolete Sword. "Crash the cull—down with him—down with him before he dubs the jigger. Tip him the degen, Fib, fake him through and through; if he pikes we shall all be scragged."

degen³

  • /ˈdiːd͡ʒɛn/

Where it comes from

Clipping of degenerate.

adjective more degen · most degen · dgen

  1. Internet Degenerate.

noun degens · dgen

  1. Internet A degenerate. Discussions of the word are littered with quotes from the Canadian comedy “Letterkenny,” whose rural Ontario characters are plagued by uncouth “degens from upcountry.”

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Cite this
MLA

"degen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/degen. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

degen. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/degen

Chicago

"degen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/degen.

BibTeX
@misc{degen_2026,
  title = {degen},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/degen},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}