cash

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkash 

1

: ready money

2

: money or its equivalent (such as a check) paid for goods or services at the time of purchase or delivery

cash

2 of 4

adjective

: being a method of accounting that includes as income only what has been received and as expenses only those paid compare accrual

cash

3 of 4

verb

cashed; cashing; cashes

transitive verb

1

: to pay or obtain cash for

cash a check

2

: to lead and win a bridge trick with (a card that is the highest remaining card of its suit)

cashable

ˈka-shə-bəl 

adjective

cash

4 of 4

noun (2)

plural cash

1

: any of various coins of small value in China and southern India

especially : a Chinese coin with a square hole in the center

2

: a unit of value equivalent to one cash

Illustration of cash

• ⁴cash 1

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• bread [slang]
• bucks
• cabbage [slang]
• change
• chips
• coin
• currency
• dough
• gold
• green
• jack [slang]
• kale [slang]
• legal tender
• lolly [British]
• long green [slang]
• loot
• lucre
• money
• moola [slang]
• moolah
• needful
• pelf
• scratch [slang]
• shekels
• sheqels
• shekelim
• shekalim
• sheqalim
• tender
• wampum

Example Sentences

Verb

The store wouldn't cash the check.

He cashed his paycheck at the bank.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

modification of Middle French or Old Italian; Middle French casse money box, from Old Italian cassa, from Latin capsa chest — more at case

Noun (2)

Portuguese caixa, from Tamil kācu, a small copper coin, from Sanskrit karṣa, a weight of gold or silver

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1622, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cash

• cash-and-carry
• cash bar
• actual cash value
• cash flow
• cash dispenser
• cash crop
• cash desk
• cash register
• cash-strapped
• cold cash
• petty cash
• cash in on
• cash in
• cash discount
• cash out
• cash machine
• cash card
• cash cow
• hard cash

See More

• cash-and-carry
• cash bar
• actual cash value
• cash flow
• cash dispenser
• cash crop
• cash desk
• cash register
• cash-strapped
• cold cash
• petty cash
• cash in on
• cash in
• cash discount
• cash out
• cash machine
• cash card
• cash cow
• hard cash

See More

Kids Definition

cash 1 of 2

noun

ˈkash 

1

: money in the form of coins or bills

2

: money or its equivalent (as a check) paid for goods at the time of purchase or delivery

cash

2 of 2

verb

: to pay or obtain cash for

cash a check

Legal Definition

cash

noun

1

: ready money

2

: money or its equivalent (as a check) paid for goods or services at the time of purchase or delivery

cash against documents

: a sight draft in exchange for a bill of lading

agree that the buyer will pay cash against documents