dicker
UK[ˈdɪkə]US[ˈdɪkər]
v
To argue or bargain with someone, especially about the price of something.
Etymology
The verb 'dicker' likely originates from the noun 'dicker,' an old unit of ten hides or skins used as a standard measure in the fur trade. This trade term entered Middle English from Anglo-Norman diker or Medieval Latin dikeria, possibly derived from Latin decuria meaning 'a company of ten.' The practice of haggling over quantities of ten hides led to the verb's generalized meaning of bargaining or petty argument. Thus, a specific commercial measurement evolved into a term for the negotiation process itself.
Analysis
The word 'dicker' is a simplex word of uncertain origin, likely entering English as a loanword or trade term. It is not productively formed from identifiable, separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
We spent an hour dickering over the price of the used car.
The two sides are still dickering about the final details of the contract.
There's no need to dicker; the price is fixed.