What does "coin" mean?
A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
Coin
/kɔɪn/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
- Grammar: coin is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: angle, anna, apex, baptizing.
- Useful contrasts: banknote, banknotes, bill.
- Usage evidence: The gold coin was much more valuable than was supposed.
How to use "coin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "coin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "coin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "coin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "coin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "coin" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "angle" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "coin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle. countable, uncountable
"...the coins were of all countries and sizes - doubloons, and louis d'ors, and guineas, and pieces of eight..."
- 2 Abbreviation of counterinsurgency. US, abbreviation, alt-of, uncountable
- 3 a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money wordnet
- 4 A token used in a special establishment like a casino. countable, uncountable
- 5 That which serves for payment or recompense. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"The loss of every present advantage to flesh and blood is repaid in a nobler coin."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Something in broad circulation or use. figuratively, uncountable
"Tho’ truths in manhood darkly join, Deep-seated in our mystic frame, We yield all blessing to the name Of Him that made them current coin; […]"
- 7 Money in general, not limited to coins. UK, US, slang, uncountable
"She spent some serious coin on that car!"
- 8 One of the suits of minor arcana in tarot, or a card of that suit. countable, uncountable
- 9 A corner or external angle. countable, uncountable
- 10 A small circular slice of food. countable, uncountable
"For munchies try deep-fried jalapeño coins, jumbo Buffalo wings, and hush puppies with a sweet edge."
- 11 Ellipsis of cryptocoin; a cryptocurrency. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, informal, uncountable
"What's the best coin to buy right now?"
Verb
- 1 To make of a definite fineness, and convert into coins, as a mass of metal.
"to coin silver dollars"
- 2 form by stamping, punching, or printing wordnet
- 3 To make or fabricate (especially a word or phrase). broadly
"Over the last century the advance in science has led to many new words being coined."
- 4 make up a word or phrase wordnet
- 5 To acquire rapidly, as money; to make.
"[...] Tenants cannot coin their Rent juſt at Quarter-day, but muſt gather it up by degrees, and lodge it with them till Pay-day, or borrow it of thoſe who have it lying by them, [...]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in Iowa, United States.
- 2 A surname.; A surname from French.
- 3 An unincorporated community in Kentucky, United States.
- 4 A surname.; A surname from Irish.; Alternative form of Coyne.
Example
"The gold coin was much more valuable than was supposed."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "coin"?
Common synonyms include: angle, anna, apex, baptizing, beget, bend.
How do you use "coin" in a sentence?
The gold coin was much more valuable than was supposed.
How do you pronounce "coin"?
Pronounced /kɔɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English coyn, from Old French coigne (“wedge, cornerstone, die for stamping”), from Latin cuneus (“wedge”). Doublet of coign and cuneus. See also quoin (“cornerstone”). Displaced Middle English mynt, from Old English mynet (whence modern English mint), which was derived from Latin monēta.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French Coin. It could also be a variant of the surname Coyne from Irish.