What does "dime" mean?
A coin worth one-tenth of a dollar.
Dime
/daɪm/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A coin worth one-tenth of a dollar.
- Grammar: dime is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: buck, c, c note, c-note.
- Useful contrasts: rare gem, ugly person, unattractive person.
- Usage evidence: If the tip was a dime in one glass, the waitress, in her haste to get the table ready for the next customer, would pick up the glass, the water would spill out, and that would be the end of it.
How to use "dime"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dime" 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 "dime" 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 "dime" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dime" 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 "dime" 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 "buck" 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 "dime", 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 coin worth one-tenth of a dollar. Canada, US
"The San Francisco mint made about 2.5 million of these dimes, but fewer than 10 are still known to exist, according to Heritage. That’s because a financial crisis in 1893 killed demand for new coinage, and almost all the dimes were melted down."
- 2 street name for a packet of illegal drugs that is sold for ten dollars wordnet
- 3 A small amount of money. Canada, US
"She didn't spend a dime."
- 4 a United States coin worth one tenth of a dollar wordnet
- 5 An assist. Philippines, US
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 A playing card with the rank of ten. slang
- 7 Ten dollars. slang
- 8 A thousand dollars. slang
"At one point, Rob hit a dire losing streak. In a single week, he dropped a dime—$1,000."
- 9 A measure of illicit drugs (usually marijuana) sold in ten-dollar bags. slang
- 10 A ten-year prison sentence. slang
"These deaths got him a dime in a minimum-security prison."
- 11 Payment responsibility. slang
"Are you traveling on the company's dime?"
- 12 A beautiful woman (10 on a 10-point scale). US, slang
"Make a couple of nuns a couple of dimes."
- 13 A defensive formation with six defensive backs, one of whom is a dimeback.
- 14 A particularly long or precise throw that ends with a catch. Canadian
Verb
- 1 To inform on, to turn in to the authorities, to rat on, especially anonymously. US, slang
"Somebody dimed on me and I got arrested for selling marijuana."
- 2 To operate an audio amplifier (especially an electric guitar amplifier) at level "10" (typically the highest amplification level). US, slang
"I get the best-sounding sustain and smooth harmonic distortion when I run the amp dimed."
Proper Noun
- 1 An Omotic language, spoken by fewer than 10,000 speakers in Ethiopia.
- 2 Acronym of Dark Internet Mail Environment. Internet, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
rare gemugly personunattractive personuncommon item
Example
"If the tip was a dime in one glass, the waitress, in her haste to get the table ready for the next customer, would pick up the glass, the water would spill out, and that would be the end of it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dime"?
Common synonyms include: buck, c, c note, c-note, cartwheel, cent.
How do you use "dime" in a sentence?
If the tip was a dime in one glass, the waitress, in her haste to get the table ready for the next customer, would pick up the glass, the water would spill out, and that would be the end of it.
How do you pronounce "dime"?
Pronounced /daɪm/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English dime, from Anglo-Norman disme (“one tenth, tithe”) (modern French dîme), from Medieval Latin decima, from Latin decima (pars) (“tenth (part)”). Doublet of decim, decima, and decime.
Etymology 2
From the use of the coin in a payphone to report a crime to the police. US payphones charged 10¢ in almost all jurisdictions until the late 1970s.