dime
Americannoun
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a cupronickel-clad coin of the U.S. and Canada, the 10th part of a dollar, equal to 10 cents.
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Slang.
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ten dollars.
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a 10-year prison sentence.
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idioms
noun
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a coin of the US and Canada, worth one tenth of a dollar or ten cents
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very cheap or common
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.
Since then, the theory was confirmed, as the lower border stopped multiple intraday rallies, while the brief surge last week was stopped on a dime at the upper border.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
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
They also told me he could turn on a dime and become reclusive or even disdainful of dinner guests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 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
He gave me a dime, and I took it and ran upstairs to my room.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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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.