Meaning
Have a look or inspect something briefly. Informal. Spellings vary because the term was transliterated and transmitted orally. Regional use: British English; historically Anglo-Indian and military slang.
Origin
Dekko entered Anglo-Indian and British military speech from Hindi dekho, the imperative of dekhna, meaning to see or look. Dictionaries date English evidence to the 19th century. It is one of many words carried into British English through colonial service in South Asia.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- Have a decko
- Take a dekko
- Take a deko
Usage Examples
- Have a dekko at the wiring before we close the panel.
- We took a quick decko around the market while the bus was waiting.