dollar

noun

dol·​lar ˈdä-lər How to pronounce dollar (audio)
often attributive
1
: taler
2
: any of numerous coins patterned after the taler (such as a Spanish peso)
3
a
: any of various basic monetary units (as in the U.S. and Canada) see Money Table
b
: a coin, note, or token representing one dollar
4
5
: money obtained from a specific source
the tourism dollar

Did you know?

In the mountains of Bohemia is the small town of Jáchymov. In the early 16th century, the town was known by its German name, Sankt Joachimstal. At that time, a silver mine was opened nearby, and coins were minted to which the name joachimstaler was applied. In German this was shortened to Taler. Shortly afterward the Dutch or Low German form daler was borrowed into English to refer to the Taler and other coins that were patterned after it, such as the Spanish peso, which circulated widely in Britain’s North American colonies. Our modern word dollar is a different spelling of this daler. When the newly independent American colonies settled on an official monetary unit in 1785, they chose the name dollar.

Examples of dollar in a Sentence

She had to pay hundreds of dollars in auto repairs. She put a wrinkled dollar down on the counter. The dollar dropped sharply against the pound. the strength of the dollar The dollar is worth more in Mexico.
Recent Examples on the Web The sale brought in more than fifteen million dollars, nearly quadruple the high estimate. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 But the biggest takeaway for homebuyers is undoubtedly welcome: The overall cost to buy a home should fall by thousands of dollars on average. David Goldman, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 For instance, Crunchbase reported last year that Black entrepreneurs typically receive less than 2% of all VC dollars each year and Black women receive less than 1%. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 17 Mar. 2024 Photo : Getty/Luxury NYC Rick Ross: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Rick Ross isn’t done showing off his multi-million dollar watch collection just yet. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2024 Mega Millions isn’t the only current multi-million dollar jackpot. Freida Frisaro, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 Veselka has raised over half a million dollars for the war effort in Ukraine. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2024 But sophomore center Adem Bona could declare for the NBA draft and a host of others could either seek more prominent roles or more NIL dollars with other college teams. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Construction of the multimillion dollar facility is led by the Monahan Company and Architect StudioAI. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dollar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Dutch or Low German daler, from German Taler, short for Joachimstaler, from Sankt Joachimsthal, Bohemia, where talers were first made

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dollar was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near dollar

Cite this Entry

“Dollar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dollar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dollar

noun
dol·​lar ˈdäl-ər How to pronounce dollar (audio)
1
: a coin (as a Spanish peso) similar to an earlier German silver coin
2
a
: a basic unit of money (as of the U.S. and Canada)
b
: a coin or bill representing one dollar
Etymology

from Dutch daler "silver coin formerly used in Germany," from German Taler (same meaning), shortened from Joachimstaler "a coin made in Sankt Joachimsthal (Saint Joachim's Valley) in Bohemia (a former kingdom in Europe)"

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