charlie

1 of 3

noun (1)

char·​lie ˈchär-lē 

variants or less commonly charley

often capitalized

British

: fool

Charlie

2 of 3

communications code word

Char·​lie ˈchär-lē 

—used as a code word for the letter c

Charlie

3 of 3

noun (2)

—used as a collective name for the Vietcong during the war in Vietnam

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• berk [British]
• booby
• cuckoo
• ding-a-ling
• ding-dong
• dingbat
• dipstick
• doofus [slang]
• featherhead
• fool
• git [British]
• goose
• half-wit
• jackass
• lunatic
• mooncalf
• nincompoop
• ninny
• ninnyhammer
• nit [chiefly British]
• nitwit
• nut
• nutcase
• simp
• simpleton
• turkey
• yo-yo

Examples of charlie in a Sentence

Noun (1)

he's a nice enough bloke, but a real charlie when choosing his girlfriends

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

from the name Charlie

Communications code word

from the name Charlie

Noun (2)

short for Victor Charlie, from the communications code words for VC (Vietcong)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1946, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1946, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1965, in the meaning defined above