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Synonyms

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.

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

"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
dime More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing dime

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

That dime appeared to drop for stock market investors Monday.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

The stock market’s day-to-day narrative can change on a dime, and this week’s theme of a pullback in precious metals and bitcoin continued early on Thursday.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026

Stuart never paid any fare on buses, because he wasn’t big enough to carry an ordinary dime.

From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White

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.