greenback
Americannoun
noun
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informal an inconvertible legal-tender US currency note originally issued during the Civil War in 1862
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slang a dollar bill
Etymology
Origin of greenback
Explanation
A greenback is a dollar bill. Grab some greenbacks, I hear the ice cream truck coming down our street! The slang term greenback is a little old-fashioned, but it's a perfectly good way to say "buck" or "dollar." You might ask the barista at your neighborhood cafe, "How many greenbacks do I owe you?" or tell your mom you need to borrow some greenbacks and you'll pay her back next week. The word has been used since U.S. money was first printed using green ink, in 1778.
Vocabulary lists containing greenback
Chapter 17: The Civil War
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"Money"
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Chapter 4, Sections 1–4
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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.
Like other Korean exporters, Kia is facing unfavorable foreign-exchange conditions, Hong says, citing the local currency’s gains of about 13% against the greenback since early July.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The yen has gained nearly 4% so far in September against the greenback, according to FactSet data.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
The dollar fell sharply in the wake of Waller’s statement, buoying commodities priced in the greenback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
On Friday, the yen was at 159.6 against the greenback.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
They noted the things he carried: “$20 in greenback, two silver dollars, and...a gold watch.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
