dime en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /daɪm/
Etymology
From Middle English dime, from Anglo-Norman disme (“one tenth, tithe”) (modern French dîme), from Medieval Latin decima, from Latin decima (pars) (“tenth (part)”). Doublet of decim, decima, and decime.
Meanings
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(Canada, US) A coin worth one-tenth of a dollar, that is, ten cents.
The San Francisco mint made about 2.5 million of these dimes, but fewer than 10 are still known to exist, according to Heritage. That’s because a financial crisis in 1893 killed demand for new coinage, and almost all the dimes were melted down.
2016 January 8, Aaron Smith, “This old dime just sold for $2 million”, in CNN:
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(Canada, US) A small amount of money.
She didn't spend a dime.
- (Philippines, US) An assist.
- (slang) A playing card with the rank of ten.
- (slang) Ten dollars.
-
(slang) A thousand dollars.
At one point, Rob hit a dire losing streak. In a single week, he dropped a dime—$1,000.
2007 05, Ted McClelland, Horseplayers: Life at the Track, Chicago Review Press, →ISBN:
- (slang) A measure of illicit drugs (usually marijuana) sold in ten-dollar bags.
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(slang) A ten-year prison sentence.
These deaths got him a dime in a minimum-security prison.
2007 September 23, David Bowman, “Torchlit Crit”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
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(slang) Payment responsibility.
Are you traveling on the company's dime?
-
(US, slang) A beautiful woman (10 on a 10-point scale).
Wait in line for drinks, it’s another time out / Made out on the floor with a couple dimes
2008, “House Music”, in Afterparty Babies, performed by Cadence Weapon:Make a couple of nuns a couple of dimes.
2005, “Stay Fly”, in Jordan Houston, Darnell Carlton, Paul Beauregard, Premro Smith, Marlon Goodwin, David Brown, Willie Hutchinson (lyrics), Most Known Unknown, performed by Three 6 Mafia (featuring Young Buck, 8 Ball, and MJG), Sony BMG:
- A defensive formation with six defensive backs, one of whom is a dimeback.
- (Canadian) A particularly long or precise throw that ends with a catch.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dimes | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
dime piece · dime novel · dimeback · on someone's own dime · Yankee dime · dime bag · drop a dime · on a dime · half dime · bet a dollar to a dime · dime novelist · bet a dime to a dollar · five and dime · dimeless · nickel-and-dime · dime-dropper · dime dropper · dime museum · dime a dozen · dime-bag · nickel and dime · dime's worth · dimelike · not worth a dime · Mercury dime · dime back · five-and-dime · on someone's dime · dime store
Relateds
buck · nickel · mill · quarter · dollar
Synonyms
grand · ten-cent piece (coin) · dime piece
Translations (15)
srn tinsensi (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · ru десятице́нтовик (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · nv dootłʼizh (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · de Zehncentstück (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · pl dziesięciocentówka (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · it decino (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · bg монета от 10 цента (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · fi kymmensenttinen (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · sl kovanec za deset centov (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · ms kupang (Kedah, Kelantan) (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · yue 毫子 (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · fi 10 sentin kolikko (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · nl dubbeltje (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · ru моне́та в 10 центов (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar) · el δεκάρα (a coin worth one-tenth of a dollar)