dollar

noun

dol·​lar ˈdä-lər How to pronounce dollar (audio)
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
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.

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The massive fire caused significant damage to the Ohio approach to the bridge, which could take days or weeks to repair and will likely cost millions of dollars, according to Matt Bruning, the Ohio Department of Transportation press secretary. Jennie Key, The Enquirer, 2 Nov. 2024 Depending on where future court rulings and legislation lands, billions of dollars in potential wagers on political outcomes could continue to go to future-trading platforms, as is the case now, or alternatively land in the hands of sportsbook operators. Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 1 Nov. 2024 With Election Day around the corner, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent by candidates and outside groups across the U.S. vying to influence Senate races. Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024 The California couple, who knew of each other in high school but didn't romantically connect until after college, has now gone viral on TikTok for DIY-ing their giant wedding cake stage, which took three weekends to finish but saved them thousands of dollars. Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dollar 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of dollar was in 1553

Dictionary Entries Near dollar

Cite this Entry

“Dollar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dollar. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

dollar

noun
dol·​lar ˈdäl-ər How to pronounce dollar (audio)
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)"

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