dollar

American  

[dol-er] / ˈdɒl ər /

noun

1. a paper money, silver or cupronickel coin, and monetary unit of the United States, equal to 100 cents. $

2. a silver or nickel coin and monetary unit of Canada, equal to 100 cents. $

3. any of the monetary units of various other nations, as Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, East Timor, Fiji, Guyana, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Liberia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe, equal to 100 cents.

4. Also called ringgit.  a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of Brunei, equal to 100 sen.

5. ringgit.

6. a thaler.

7. a peso.

8. Levant dollar.

9. yuan.

10. British Slang. (formerly)

    1. five-shilling piece; crown.

    2. the sum of five shillings.

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dollar British  

/ ˈdɒlə /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of the US and its dependencies, divided into 100 cents

2. the standard monetary unit, comprising 100 cents, of the following countries or territories: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kiribati, Liberia, Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, and Zimbabwe

3. informal (formerly) five shillings or a coin of this value

4. informal to look or feel extremely well

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dollar Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dollar

• feel like a million dollars
• look like a million dollars
• you can bet your ass (bottom dollar)

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Etymology

Origin of dollar

First recorded in 1545–55; earlier daler, from Low German, Dutch daler; cognate with German Taler, short for Joachimsthaler, a silver coin minted in Joachimsthal ( Czech Jáchymov ) in Bohemia

Example Sentences

The platform supports both fiat currency and stablecoins—cryptocurrencies pegged to the U.S. dollar, such as the company’s own SoFiUSD —allowing for 24/7 banking.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The middle class is stretching every dollar by buying in bulk, or adopting tactics to save on gas, or putting items on credit.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

The DXY dollar index fell, and the currency could fall initially if U.S. nonfarm payrolls data Friday are worse than expected, TD Securities said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

"She's someone who has the club at heart and is not just thinking about dollar signs."

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

According to the CIA, the bombing campaign was costing the United States nine dollars and sixty cents for every one dollar of damage inflicted on North Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• currency
• greenback