dime

noun

1
a
: a coin of the U.S. worth ¹/₁₀ dollar
b
: 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
5
informal
a
basketball : a pass by a player who enables a teammate to make a basket
Harden ended up recording his first triple-double of the season with 44 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He delivered seven dimes to Capela …Tim MacMahon
often used with drop
Not only was he scoring in the post and grabbing rebounds, he also was dropping dimes [=making passes to enable teammates to score] including a flashy pass to Chance Coyle.Hendrix Magley
b
American football : an accurate pass by a quarterback to a receiver
often used with drop
He spun out of sacks and threw on the run, dropping dimes down the field that few quarterbacks in history could be trusted to deliver.Ryan Kartje
Phrases
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

Examples of dime in a Sentence

the beauty of this deal is that all the extras won't cost you a dime
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And in this fragile economy—rife with tariffs, skyrocketing living costs, and a looming recession—there’s no telling how one’s financial situation can change on a dime. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025 So much of The Baltimorons turns on a dime, but these two lonely souls slowly come to appreciate being together. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025 The water company charged a dime per barrel to provide fire protection for the wooden warehouses that housed distilleries’ aging bourbon. Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Sep. 2025 The halcyon days of editors Condé Nast editors wining and dining on the company dime are over. Andrew Limbong, NPR, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dime

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of dime was in 1786

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dime. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

dime

noun
: a U.S. coin worth ⅒ dollar
Etymology

Middle English dime "a tenth part," from early French dime (same meaning), derived from Latin decimus "a tenth part," from decem "ten" — related to december, decimal, dozen

More from Merriam-Webster on dime

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