DictionaryAI

cash

KASH/kæʃ/

Pluralcashes (some meanings), cash (some meanings)

11 meanings of cash

Practice

  1. 1
    notes and coinsnoununcountable
    Money in the form of paper bills and coins, not checks or cards.

    Like the coins and bills you can hold in your hand, not a number on a screen.

    She always keeps some cash in her wallet for small purchases.

    The market only takes cash, not cards.

    UsageSay pay in cash or pay cash.

    Similarcurrency, money

    Oppositecredit

  2. 2
    money in generalnouncolloquialuncountable
    Money of any kind, in everyday casual use.

    I'm a little low on cash this month.

    She made a lot of cash selling her old games.

    UsageSay low on cash or short on cash.

    Similarmoney, dough, bucks

  3. 3
    available fundsnoununcountable
    Money you can use right away, not money tied up in things you own.

    Like money in your pocket you can spend now, instead of a toy you'd have to sell first.

    The company kept enough cash to pay its workers each week.

    We need cash on hand for emergencies, not just savings in stocks.

    UsageSay a company holds cash or has cash on hand.

    Similarfunds, liquidity, capital

    Note

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–7

It came from a French word 'caisse' meaning 'money-box'. This came from Latin 'capsa' meaning 'box'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

Meaning 9

It came from the Tamil word 'kācu', which came from Sanskrit 'karsha', a unit of weight. It was used for small coins in Asia.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

Meaning 8

Linked to cashier, which means to throw someone out of a job, from an old French word for "to break."