coin

1 of 3

noun

ˈkȯin 

1

archaic

a

: corner, cornerstone, quoin

b

: wedge

2

a

: a usually flat piece of metal issued by governmental authority as money

b

: metal money

c

: something resembling a coin especially in shape

d

: a unit of a cryptocurrency

These products allow investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin without owning the actual coins.

—Lisa Loud

3

: something used as if it were money (as in verbal or intellectual exchange)

… perhaps wisecracks … are respectable literary coin in the United States …

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

would repay him with the full coin of his mind

—Ian Fleming

4

: something having two different and usually opposing sides

—usually used in the phrase the other side of the coin

5

informal : money

I'm in it for the coin

—Sinclair Lewis

coin

2 of 3

verb

coined; coining; coins

transitive verb

1

a

: to make (a coin) especially by stamping : mint

b

: to convert (metal) into coins

2

: create, invent

coin a phrase

coiner

ˈkȯi-nər 

noun

see also:

coin money

coin

3 of 3

adjective

1

: of or relating to coins

2

: operated by coins

Synonyms of coin

Noun

• money
• cash
• currency
• coinage
• bucks
• gold

Examples of coin in a Sentence

Noun

I have a dollar in coins.

seeking a job that pays plenty of coin

Verb

The coach coined the phrase “refuse to lose.”

William Shakespeare is believed to have coined many words.

The nation plans to coin more money.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bidding for the 1969 ring has surpassed $400,000 on Heritage Auctions site, couch-cushion coin for Cohen. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026

With the Actor Award still pending, this race is starting to resemble a five-sided coin flip. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026

Verb

The term was coined by Linda Stone in 2008 in an article published by HuffPost. —Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Feb. 2026

Cannon, the man who coined the phrase fight or flight, measured various ways in which the nervous system will reroute to cope with an emergency. —Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026

Adjective

The victim told him where to find a bedroom safe and coin jar, which together contained $230. —Kim Chatelain, NOLA.com, 21 June 2017

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French coing wedge, corner, from Latin cuneus wedge

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

circa 1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing coin

• coin money
• coin of the realm
• coin-op
• fleur de coin
• initial coin offering
• sandwich coin
• the other/opposite/flip side of the coin
• toss/flip a coin
• two sides of the same coin

Rhymes for coin

• coyne
• groin
• join
• koine
• loin
• moine
• moyen
• quoin
• adjoin
• benzoin
• bitcoin
• conjoin

Kids Definition

coin

1 of 3 noun

ˈkȯin 

1

: a piece of metal put out by a government authority as money

2

: metal money

three dollars in coin

coin

2 of 3 verb

1

a

: to make (a coin) especially by stamping : mint

b

: to convert (metal) into coins

2

: create, invent

coin a phrase

coiner noun

coin

3 of 3 adjective

1

: of or relating to coins

a coin show

2

: operated by coins

a laundromat's coin washers