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
James SurowieckiThey hopped a Greyhound, on their own dime, and had such a good time they stayed on …—Mark Ribowsky
Mark RibowskyThe boys are worthless, feckless layabouts, living off David's dime.—Whitney Pastorek
Whitney Pastorek5
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 dropTim MacMahonNot 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
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
Ryan KartjeExamples 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
In the past five or so years, airlines have seen a surge in passengers flying for pleasure who were willing to buy their way into premium economy or business class cabins on their own dime for a little extra comfort during their travels.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Lockwood says she’s often asked about her ability to toggle literary voice on a dime, ricocheting, like an elementary school PhD candidate, between potty humor and profundity.
—Eric Olson
september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Evero used safety Tre’von Moehrig as a nickel corner, a dime linebacker and a box safety, while sending the veteran DB on blitzes.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
Marte Mapu remained the Patriots’ dime linebacker after Elliss was benched.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dime
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.
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Lockwood says she’s often asked about her ability to toggle literary voice on a dime, ricocheting, like an elementary school PhD candidate, between potty humor and profundity.
—Eric Olson
september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Evero used safety Tre’von Moehrig as a nickel corner, a dime linebacker and a box safety, while sending the veteran DB on blitzes.
—Charlotte Observer, 21 Sep. 2025
Marte Mapu remained the Patriots’ dime linebacker after Elliss was benched.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dime
Cite this Entry
“Dime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dime. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share