dime

American  

[dahym] / daɪm /

noun

1. a cupronickel-clad coin of the U.S. and Canada, the 10th part of a dollar, equal to 10 cents.

2. Slang.

   1. ten dollars.

   2. a 10-year prison sentence.

   3. dime bag.

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idioms

1. a dime a dozen, so abundant that the value has decreased; readily available.

dime British  

/ daɪm /

noun

1. a coin of the US and Canada, worth one tenth of a dollar or ten cents

2. very cheap or common

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dime More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dime

• drop a dime
• get off the dime
• not worth a dime
• on a dime

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Etymology

Origin of dime

1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French di ( s ) me < Latin decima tenth part, tithe, noun use of feminine of decimus tenth, derivative of decem ten

Example Sentences

In the NFL, it isn’t uncommon for the fortunes of crummy teams to turn on a dime.

From The Wall Street Journal

Anyone who starts working at 13 is unlikely to take one dime for granted.

From MarketWatch

“This is ultimately not something someone can change on a dime,” she says.

From MarketWatch

Aunt Kitty liked to save a dime where she could, and I imagined that Mr. Bangs, the office manager, appreciated that.

From Literature

The trust has since received over $100 million in distributions, and the executive hasn’t paid a dime in state taxes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• reveal