dime
Americannoun
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a cupronickel-clad coin of the U.S. and Canada, the 10th part of a dollar, equal to 10 cents.
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Slang.
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ten dollars.
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a 10-year prison sentence.
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idioms
noun
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a coin of the US and Canada, worth one tenth of a dollar or ten cents
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very cheap or common
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
From Champions League toe-pokes to swivelling on a dime in baggy blaugrana, the Ballon d'Or winner's very presence was enough to tune in for.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
So another day like Wednesday—which are a dime a dozen for the Korean stock market right now—and it will have wiped out all those losses.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
I do not want a dime — only the rights of survivorship.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026
But Mr. Dylan expects us to cough up nothing but a dime for the jukebox.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
When we make a basket, we pocket a quarter, or a dime when we run out of quarters.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.