dollar

noun

dol·​lar ˈdä-lər 

often attributive

1

: taler

2

: any of numerous coins patterned after the taler (such as a Spanish peso)

3

a

: any of various basic monetary units (as in the U.S. and Canada) see Money Table

b

: a coin, note, or token representing one dollar

4

: ringgit

5

: money obtained from a specific source

the tourism dollar

Did you know?

In the mountains of Bohemia is the small town of Jáchymov. In the early 16th century, the town was known by its German name, Sankt Joachimstal. At that time, a silver mine was opened nearby, and coins were minted to which the name joachimstaler was applied. In German this was shortened to Taler. Shortly afterward the Dutch or Low German form daler was borrowed into English to refer to the Taler and other coins that were patterned after it, such as the Spanish peso, which circulated widely in Britain’s North American colonies. Our modern word dollar is a different spelling of this daler. When the newly independent American colonies settled on an official monetary unit in 1785, they chose the name dollar.

Synonyms

• bone [slang]
• buck
• clam
• one
• smacker [slang]

Examples of dollar in a Sentence

She had to pay hundreds of dollars in auto repairs.

She put a wrinkled dollar down on the counter.

The dollar dropped sharply against the pound.

the strength of the dollar

The dollar is worth more in Mexico.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adams has shown a remarkable indifference toward early-childhood education, slicing hundreds of millions of dollars from the city’s 3-K and U.P.K. programs even as COVID-era federal stimulus funds for early-childhood programs were expiring. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2025

Later, the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill authorized hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild airports, bridges and highways, billions more to build a network of electric vehicle chargers and more broadband Internet. —Ed O'Keefe, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2025

Paying an appliance service technician to show up is sometimes the most expensive part of hiring out an oven repair, as the service call charge can be hundreds of dollars. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Jan. 2025

The national debt is expected to rise by $23.9 trillion over the next decade, a sum that does not include trillions of dollars in additional tax cuts being championed by President-elect Donald Trump. —Josh Boak The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Dutch or Low German daler, from German Taler, short for Joachimstaler, from Sankt Joachimsthal, Bohemia, where talers were first made

First Known Use

1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dollar

• bang for one's dollar
• bang for the dollar
• dollar-a-year
• dollar cost averaging
• dollar day
• dollar diplomacy
• dollar sign
• dollar signs in one's eyes
• dollar store
• East Caribbean dollar
• half-dollar
• Maria Theresa dollar
• non-dollar
• sand dollar
• see dollar signs
• silver dollar
• silver dollar plant
• Straits dollar
• the dollar
• top dollar
• trade dollar

Kids Definition

dollar

noun

dol·​lar ˈdäl-ər 

1

: a coin (as a Spanish peso) similar to an earlier German silver coin

2

a

: a basic unit of money (as of the U.S. and Canada)

b

: a coin or bill representing one dollar

Etymology

from Dutch daler "silver coin formerly used in Germany," from German Taler (same meaning), shortened from Joachimstaler "a coin made in Sankt Joachimsthal (Saint Joachim's Valley) in Bohemia (a former kingdom in Europe)"