Definition of dime
1a : a coin of the U.S. worth 1⁄10 dollarb : a petty sum of money
2 : a Canadian 10-cent piece
3 slang : a packet containing 10 dollars worth of an illicit drug (such as marijuana) —called also dime bag
4 informal : money provided to pay expenses Executives in a perk-rich environment get used to living on the company's dime [=on the company's money; at the company's expense] — James Surowiecki They hopped a Greyhound, on their own dime, and had such a good time they stayed on … — Mark Ribowsky The boys are worthless, feckless layabouts, living off David's dime. — Whitney Pastorek
a dime a dozen
: so plentiful or commonplace as to be of little esteem or slight value
on a dime
1 : in a very small area these cars can turn on a dime
2 : instantly
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of dime in a Sentence
the beauty of this deal is that all the extras won't cost you a dime
Recent Examples of dime from the Web
-
The challenge is to prioritize the right stuff, and then turning on a dime if the situation changes.
-
Men, many of them military men, would pay a dime to dance with a lady.
-
Many of the other countries haven't spent anything, and many of them will never pay one dime.
-
Many of the other countries haven’t spent anything, and many of them will never pay one dime.
-
Williams uses the nickel or dime most of the time, meaning the middle linebacker comes off the field.
-
But, Fencl says, Mira’s condition can turn on a dime.
-
Then, rub a dime-sized amount of the oil of your choice into your skin.
-
Unlike Apple, which routinely comes out with cool technology and can't seem to make a dime off it, Microsoft is buying up bit wizards.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dime'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of dime
Middle English, tenth part, tithe, from Anglo-French disme, dime, from Latin decima, from feminine of decimus tenth, from decem ten — more at ten
First Known Use: 1786
DIME Defined for English Language Learners
dime
playDefinition of dime for English Language Learners
-
: a U.S. or Canadian coin that is worth 10 cents
DIME Defined for Kids
History for dime
In earlier English, our name for a coin worth a tenth of a dollar meant simply “a tenth part” of something. This word was borrowed from medieval French dime or disme, with the same meaning. Dime, in turn, descends from Latin decima, a form of decimus, meaning “tenth.”
Learn More about dime
-
See words that rhyme with dime Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dime Spanish Central: Translation of dime Nglish: Translation of dime for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dime for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up dime? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!