dies

Dies is a term with multiple meanings in English, most commonly referring to tools used in manufacturing and to the Latin word for day.

In manufacturing and metalworking, a die is a specialized tool used to cut, shape, or form material. Dies are typically paired with a punch in a press to produce precise profiles, holes, threads, or other features. They are usually made from hardened steel and designed for stamping, forming, or cutting metals and plastics. A set of dies, called a die set, ensures consistent results across multiple parts. Thread dies are used to cut external threads on rods or bolts.

In coinage and casting, a die is an engraved stamp used to imprint a design onto metal. In coin production, dies are used to strike designs onto blank planchets, often with separate obverse and reverse dies. In die casting, molten metal is forced under pressure into steel molds, which are also referred to as dies.

The Latin word dies means “day” and appears in classical phrases such as Dies irae (Day of Wrath). In English, Dies is also the plural form of die when referring to the manufacturing tool; the plural of the gaming piece, dice, remains dice in ordinary usage.

See also: die casting, coin die, threading die, stamping die.