dime
[ dahym ]
/ daɪm /
noun
a cupronickel-clad coin of the U.S. and Canada, the 10th part of a dollar, equal to 10 cents.
Slang.
- ten dollars.
- a 10-year prison sentence.
- dime bag.
Words nearby dime
dim., dimaggio, dimashq, dimbleby, dimbulb, dime, dime a dozen, dime bag, dime novel, dime store, dimelia
Idioms for dime
a dime a dozen, Informal. so abundant that the value has decreased; readily available.
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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for dime a dozen
dime
/ (daɪm) /
noun
a coin of the US and Canada, worth one tenth of a dollar or ten cents
a dime a dozen very cheap or common
Word Origin for dime
C14: from Old French disme, from Latin decimus tenth, from decem ten
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with dime a dozen (1 of 2)
dime a dozen
So plentiful as to be valueless. For example, Don't bother to buy one of these—they're a dime a dozen. The dime was declared the American ten-cent coin in 1786 by the Continental Congress. [First half of 1900s]
Idioms and Phrases with dime a dozen (2 of 2)
dime
In addition to the idiom beginning with dime
- dime a dozen
also see:
- drop a dime
- get off the dime
- not worth a dime
on a dime.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.