coin

1 of 3

noun

1
archaic
b
: wedge
2
a
: a usually flat piece of metal issued by governmental authority as money
b
: metal money
c
: something resembling a coin especially in shape
d
: a unit of a cryptocurrency
I also caution market participants against promoting or touting the offer and sale of coins without first determining whether the securities laws apply to those actions.Jay Clayton
3
: something used as if it were money (as in verbal or intellectual exchange)
perhaps wisecracks … are respectable literary coin in the U.S.The Times Literary Supplement (London)
would repay him with the full coin of his mindIan Fleming
4
: something having two different and usually opposing sides
usually used in the phrase the other side of the coin
5
informal : money
I'm in it for the coinSinclair Lewis

coin

2 of 3

verb

coined; coining; coins

transitive verb

1
a
: to make (a coin) especially by stamping : mint
b
: to convert (metal) into coins
2
: create, invent
coin a phrase
coiner noun

coin

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of or relating to coins
2
: operated by coins
Phrases
coin money
: to get rich quickly

Examples of coin in a Sentence

Noun I have a dollar in coins. seeking a job that pays plenty of coin Verb The coach coined the phrase “refuse to lose.” William Shakespeare is believed to have coined many words. The nation plans to coin more money.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Silver customers have grumbled about the shipping of the coins, saying the cases were unsealed, letting the coins fall out and, in some cases, get scratched. Chris Morris, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 The front of the coins features a maple leaf, and King Charles III is on the back. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 The digital coin was originally envisioned as a decentralized alternative to the traditional financial system, a way for people to exchange funds without relying on banks or other intermediaries. David Yaffe-Bellany, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Bitcoin was trading at more than $62,000 on Friday, coming after the coin’s best month in more than three years. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 1 Mar. 2024 Bitcoin reached $57,000 on Tuesday and rose 7% higher on Wednesday to $61,000—the first time the coin has been valued over $60,000 since 2021. Zachary Folk, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 One of the guests, Stephen Colbert, paid Fallon in pennies, dumping a bucket of the coins all over him. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Feb. 2024 The design — which will appear on coins ranging from 50p to £200 — is the latest in the Music Legends series of collectible coins that have previously included Elton John, David Bowie and the rock band Queen. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Officers served a search warrant at Espinosa’s Sacramento home and found jewelry and coins belonging to 10 victims, prosecutors said. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
The film’s title references a trope in films and television, coined by Spike Lee, in which Black secondary characters exist solely to help white primary characters. Lisa Respers France, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Concerts sold out quickly in most markets, with some shows moved to larger venues, drawing fans who did their best to replicate Madonna’s look, inspiring the media to coin the phrase Madonna wannabes. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 9 Mar. 2024 The property’s design invokes the concept of Pueblos Mágicos, a term coined by the Mexican government recognizing villages for their extraordinary beauty and rich history. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 Media coined breakdancing to explain the form more broadly. Sean Gregory, TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 Newark, outside New York, and Camden, outside Philadelphia, are clear winners in this new regime, each serving, to coin a phrase, as a sort of subcity to the stagnant dominant metro. Alena Botros, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2024 That bandwidth, though, as the Grossmont High School alum coined it, was tested like never before. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 Defining The Essence Of Zero Trust The idea of zero trust was coined in 2010, aiming to let people work from home without a VPN. Ravi Ithal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Editor’s picks Neurodiversity, a term coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in the 1990s, describes differences in brain functions and behavioral traits. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 24 Feb. 2024
Adjective
The victim told him where to find a bedroom safe and coin jar, which together contained $230. Kim Chatelain, NOLA.com, 21 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French coing wedge, corner, from Latin cuneus wedge

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

circa 1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coin was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near coin

Cite this Entry

“Coin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

coin

1 of 3 noun
1
: a piece of metal put out by a government authority as money
2
: metal money
three dollars in coin

coin

2 of 3 verb
1
a
: to make (a coin) especially by stamping : mint
b
: to convert (metal) into coins
2
: create, invent
coin a phrase
coiner noun

coin

3 of 3 adjective
1
: of or relating to coins
a coin show
2
: operated by coins
a laundromat's coin washers

More from Merriam-Webster on coin

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