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Dyke was originally a slang term used to describe a lesbian who was perceived as androgynous, butch, or masculine. It was originally used in an insulting way, but later was used nonjudgmentally to describe lesbians who were assertive and who emphasized toughness.
The first reported use of the term was in an August 1921 article in the journal Medical Review of Reviews titled "The 'Fairy' and the Lady Lover".