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.
The renewed military actions in the Middle East cast doubt on the fragile U.S.-Iran cease-fire, which could put upward pressure on the greenback, Kong adds.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Being short USD/JPY means investors are betting that the dollar will fall in value against the yen, or that the yen will strengthen against the greenback.
From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026
The greenback gained broadly against Asian currencies as demand for safe-haven assets rebounded.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Dollar Index —which measures the strength of the greenback against a basket of currencies—climbed 0.5%.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 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.
