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 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

Gold futures are down 14% from pre-Iran levels to just over $4,600, partly due to investors seeking safety in the US dollar.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

“Don’t be afraid to hit up your nearest dollar stores,” said Brian Theis, a cookbook author who likes to put his thrift-minded ways to good use during Easter.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

The dollar extended its winning streak to three consecutive quarters in the first three months of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Inside the bag, hidden in a false bottom, he showed them thousands of dollar bills.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• currency
• greenback