dollar

play

noun, often attributive dol·lar \ˈdä-lər\

Simple Definition of dollar

: a basic unit of money in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and other countries that is equal to 100 cents
: a bill or coin that is worth one dollar
the dollar : the value of a dollar when it is compared to another unit of money

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of dollar

1 : taler
2 : any of numerous coins patterned after the taler (as a Spanish peso)
3 a : any of various basic monetary units (as in the United States and Canada) — see money table b : a coin, note, or token representing one dollar
4 : ringgit
5 : money obtained from a specific source <the tourism dollar>

See dollar defined for English-language learners

See dollar defined for kids

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.

Origin of dollar

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

First Known Use: 1553

Rhymes with dollar

choler, collar, haler, holler, loller, Mahler, scholar, taler

DOLLAR Defined for Kids

dollar

play

noun dol·lar \ˈdä-lər\

Definition of dollar for Students

: any of various coins or pieces of paper money (as of the United States or Canada) equal to 100 cents

History for dollar

In the early 1500s, much of the silver used to mint coins in Europe came from the mountains on the current border of Germany and the Czech Republic. A mine in these mountains near the town of Sankt Joachimstal produced a coin called in German the Joachimstaler, or Taler for short. In the Dutch form daler, this word was borrowed into English and applied to similar silver coins. One such coin was the Spanish peso, which circulated in England's North American colonies. When the newly independent American colonies settled on an official money unit in 1785, they chose the name dollar after this familiar coin.