DictionaryAI

dollar

noun
DOL-er/ˈdɑ.lɚ/UKDOL-uh/ˈdɒl.ə/

Pluraldollars

6 meanings of dollar

Practice

  1. 1
    US moneynouncountable
    A unit of money used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and several other countries, written with the symbol $.

    Like the pound in Britain: it's the name for the money people spend.

    I found a dollar on the sidewalk this morning.

    She paid five dollars for the toy.

    UsageSay a ten-dollar bill (not incorrect: ten-dollars bill).

    Similarbuck

    Note
  2. 2
    money in generalnouncountable
    Money in general, thought of as wealth or spending power rather than an exact amount.

    Like saying 'cash' when you really mean money as a whole.

    He only cares about the dollar, not about other people.

    They chase dollars instead of doing work they love.

    UsageOften the tourist dollar: the money tourists spend.

    Similarmoney, cash

    Note
  3. 3
    in MalaysianouncolloquialMalaysiacountable
    A casual word for the ringgit, the money used in Malaysia.

    That Penang stall won't take a single dollar less than the marked price.

    In Malaysia, my grandma still calls ringgit dollars.

    UsageUse ringgit in formal writing or when someone might misunderstand dollar.

    Similarringgit

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    noundatedhistoricalUKcountable
    An old British word for a coin worth a quarter of a pound, or one crown.

    Similarcrown

    Note
  2. 5
    noun
    Brought in from the United States and paid for with American dollars.
    For there are two luxury imports that lead all the others: dollar films and dollar tobacco.
    1956, The SpectatorHere, dollar means brought in from the United States and paid for in dollars.
  3. 6
    noun
    In nuclear reactors, a unit for the gap between a steady and a very fast chain reaction.

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Dutch daler and German Taler, short for Joachimsthaler, meaning "of Joachimstal," the town where the first such coins were made.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts