dollar

noun

dol·​lar ˈdä-lər 

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

: ringgit

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.

Synonyms

• bone [slang]
• buck
• clam
• one
• smacker [slang]

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

Moscow has also released millions of dollars in North Korean assets that previously sat frozen in Russian banks in compliance with Security Council sanctions. —Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

The election official was most struck by one line item during the meeting: Tens of thousands of dollars were slated to be spent on cybersecurity risk assessments for local governments. —Miles Parks, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024

But Butler is a liberal Democrat and so isn’t averse to spreading the national taxpayers’ dollars around her state. —John Seiler, Orange County Register, 23 Apr. 2024

Applied criteria: company age 10 years and younger minimum revenue of 1 million US dollars in 2021 revenue growth rate of more than 20 % over the last three years Read the full list here. —Time Staff, TIME, 23 Apr. 2024

In that same post, X claimed that the eSafety Commission demanded the social media platform take down content for all users globally, or face daily fines of 785,000 Australian dollars ($506,000). —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 23 Apr. 2024

Unlike recent years, the Sharks now have tens of millions of dollars in salary cap space available this summer to make personnel changes. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024

In 2022, the lawsuit was settled for nearly two million dollars. —Beth Sobol, Allure, 23 Apr. 2024

Others, like Mike Lindell, have spent millions of dollars in hopes of overturning the 2020 election. —Makena Kelly, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing dollar

• bang for one's dollar
• bang for the dollar
• dollar-a-year
• dollar cost averaging
• dollar day
• dollar diplomacy
• dollar sign
• dollar signs in one's eyes
• dollar store
• East Caribbean dollar
• half-dollar
• Maria Theresa dollar
• non-dollar
• sand dollar
• see dollar signs
• silver dollar
• silver dollar plant
• Straits dollar
• the dollar
• top dollar
• trade dollar

Kids Definition

dollar

noun

dol·​lar ˈdäl-ər 

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)"