greenback

American  

[green-bak] / ˈgrinˌbæk /

noun

1. a U.S. legal-tender note, printed in green on the back since the Civil War, originally issued against the credit of the country and not against gold or silver on deposit.

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greenback British  

/ ˈɡriːnˌbæk /

noun

1. informal an inconvertible legal-tender US currency note originally issued during the Civil War in 1862

2. slang a dollar bill

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Etymology

Origin of greenback

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; green + back ¹

Example Sentences

The falling greenback contrasted with gains for gold in early European trade after Tuesday’s weaker-than-expected U.S. retail sales print for December lifted the prospect of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts.

From The Wall Street Journal

A weakening greenback has played a significant role in the heightened allure of investing abroad.

From The Wall Street Journal

The euro gained strongly against the dollar over the course of last year as trade and monetary concerns hit the greenback, a headwind for European companies that sell to customers across the Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal

Analysts said the choice of Warsh, a former Fed governor and Morgan Stanley investment banker, raised the prospect that central bank policy could be more supportive of the greenback.

From Barron's

“This time, the move is happening despite substantial economic resilience and is a much purer reflection” of the increased risk investors associate with the dollar, “building on weakening confidence about the greenback,” they wrote.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• currency