# dime

Pronunciation: say "DYM" /daɪm/

## Noun

1. A United States coin worth one-tenth of a dollar, equal to ten cents. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A small US coin worth ten cents, or one-tenth of a dollar.
   - _He dropped a dime into the parking meter and walked off._
   - _The cashier handed back three dimes in change._
2. A small or trivial sum of money, often mentioned to stress how little something costs. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A very small amount of money.
   - _She built the whole business without borrowing a dime._
   - _The warranty means you won't pay a dime for parts._
3. A quantity of an illegal drug, usually marijuana, sold in a ten-dollar bag. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A ten-dollar bag of an illegal drug, usually marijuana.
   - _She picked up a dime on the way to the party._
   - _Back then a dime got you a lot more than it does now._
4. A woman regarded as extremely attractive: a perfect ten on a ten-point scale. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A very beautiful woman, rated a perfect ten.
   - _She walked in looking like an absolute dime._
   - _The guys called her a dime the moment she sat down._
5. A sum of ten dollars. *(slang)*
   - Simple: An amount equal to ten dollars.
   - _He slipped the bouncer a dime to skip the line._
   - _That used jacket set me back a dime at the thrift store._
6. A prison sentence lasting ten years. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A prison sentence of ten years.
   - _She was looking at a dime if the jury convicted her._
   - _After serving a dime, he walked out a changed man._
7. In basketball, a pass that leads directly to a teammate's basket; an assist. *(Philippines, US)*
   - Simple: In basketball, a pass that sets up a teammate to score.
   - _The point guard dropped a dime to the cutter under the basket._
   - _That no-look dime set up the game-winning layup._
8. In American football, a defensive formation using six defensive backs, one of them a dimeback.
   - Simple: In football, a defense that puts six defensive backs on the field.
   - _The defense lined up in a dime to cover four wide receivers._
   - _On obvious passing downs, they relied on the dime._
9. A sum of one thousand dollars. *(slang)*
   - Simple: An amount equal to one thousand dollars.
   - _She spent a dime on a new laptop and accessories._
   - _The bookie owed him a dime after the playoffs._
10. Responsibility for paying a cost; whose money covers an expense. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Responsibility for paying for something.
   - _He flew first class on the firm's dime._
   - _Lunch is on my dime today, so order whatever you like._
12. A playing card bearing the rank of ten. *(slang)*
   - Simple: In card games, a card with the rank of ten.
   - _A dime of hearts completed his straight._
   - _He tossed down a dime and claimed the pot._
13. In Canadian football, an especially long or precise forward pass that ends in a completed catch. *(Canadian)*
   - Simple: In football, a long, accurate throw that the receiver catches.
   - _He dropped a dime down the sideline for a huge gain._
   - _The crowd roared at the dime that won the game._

## Verb

11. To inform on someone to the authorities, especially anonymously. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: To secretly report someone to the police.
   - _They suspect a rival will dime them to the feds._
   - _She dimed her boss for tax fraud._
14. To set an audio amplifier, especially a guitar amp, to its maximum level of ten. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: To turn an amplifier all the way up to its highest setting.
   - _To get that gritty tone, you dime the amp and let it roar._
   - _She dimed her amplifier for the final chorus._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–10, 12–13** — From Middle English dime, from Anglo-Norman disme ("one tenth, tithe"), from Medieval Latin and Latin decima (pars), meaning "tenth part."
**Meanings 11, 14** — From the use of the coin in a payphone to report a crime to the police, since US payphones charged 10¢ in almost all jurisdictions until the late 1970s.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/dime (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).