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From Middle Englishdys, plural of dy. See the etymology of die (etymology 2) for further information. The voiceless /s/ was most likely retained because the word felt like a collective term rather than a plural form (compare pence), and the spelling dice is a result of the pronunciation.
Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga—perhaps too much dice, you know—coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes.
1980, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, “The Winner Takes It All”, Super Trouper, Polar Music
The gods may throw a dice / Their minds as cold as ice
1945, Lawrence Durrell, Prospero's Cell: A Guide to the Landscape and Manners of the Island of Corfu:
A white house set like a dice on a rock already venerable with the scars of wind and water.
2009, Hubert L. Dreyfus, Mark A. Wrathall, A Companion to Phenomenology and Existentialism, page 106:
When we see a dice, we see an object which has six sides, some of which can be seen from where we are, others can be seen if we twist it or move around it.
1782, Tobias George Smollett, The history and adventures of the renowned Don Quixote, 5th edition, volumes 3-4, translation of original by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra:
If your worship is inclined to take a small draught of good wine, though not very cool, I have here a calabash full of the best, and some dices of Tronchon cheese
Usage notes
The singular usage is considered incorrect by many authorities. However, it should be noted that The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Judy Pearsall, Patrick Hanks (1998) states that “In modern standard English, the singular die (rather than dice) is uncommon. Dice is used for both the singular and the plural.”
For Corinius, who gave not a fig for music or dirges, but liked well of carding and dicing, had brought forth his dice box to play with the son of Corund.
1999, George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings, Bantam, published 2011, page 407:
Tyrion found Timmett dicing with his Burned Men in the barracks.
1928, “Carrots and Beets in Turnip Border”, in The Ladies' Home Journal, volume 45, page 109:
Dice the vegetables and heat in the double boiler with butter, pepper and salt.
2019 November 21, Samanth Subramanian, “How our home delivery habit reshaped the world”, in The Guardian:
But as our urban lives have grown more pressed for time, we have diced our opportunity costs finer and finer; from budgeting days or slabs of hours, we have come to rationing minutes.
