five-and-dime

American  

[fahyv-uhn-dahym] / ˈfaɪv ənˈdaɪm /

noun

1. a variety store that sells small, inexpensive items.

2. a thing, situation, or practice in which a 5 is followed by a 10, such as a golf hole that is best played with a 5 iron and then a 10 iron, or judging a screenplay based on its first 5 and last 10 pages (often used attributively).

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adjective

1. relating to or being a variety store that sells small items at low prices.

2. inexpensive and of poor quality; cheap or lacking in class and sophistication.

Example Sentences

Newberry’s five-and-dime store, she worked for a month and a half to pay it off in installments, wearing it for years until it all but disintegrated.

From The Wall Street Journal

He was the youngest of five children who grew up in Scituate, Mass., where his parents owned the local five-and-dime store.

From Los Angeles Times

“We’ve had so much growth, so much influx of folks that the small-town historical Bentonville that was the Sam Walton Bentonville where the five-and-dime started is virtually unrecognizable.”

From Seattle Times

This Francie is 19 and works at a Brooklyn five-and-dime store, where she trills the songs of the day so customers can decide whether they want to buy the sheet music.

From New York Times

Randy Blevins, 70, had worked at the Walmart for more than 30 years after owning his own five-and-dime store.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• boutique
• chain store
• convenience store
• deli
• department store
• discount store
• drugstore
• emporium
• grocery store
• market
• outlet
• shop
• shopping center
• showroom
• supermarket