dollar Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
  2. noun a piece of paper money worth one dollar
    dollar bill; clam; one dollar bill; buck.
  3. noun a United States coin worth one dollar
    • the dollar coin has never been popular in the United States
  4. noun a symbol of commercialism or greed
    dollar mark; dollar sign.
    • he worships the almighty dollar
    • the dollar sign means little to him

WordNet

Dol"lar noun
Etymology
D. daalder, LG. dahler, G. thaler, an abbreviation of Joachimsthaler, i. e., a piece of money first coined, about the year 1518, in the valley (G. thal) of St. Joachim, in Bohemia. See Dale.
Definitions
  1. (a) A silver coin of the United States containing 371.25 grains of silver and 41.25 grains of alloy, that is, having a total weight of 412.5 grains. (b) A gold coin of the United States containing 23.22 grains of gold and 2.58 grains of alloy, that is, having a total weight of 25.8 grains, nine-tenths fine. It is no longer coined. ✍ Previous to 1837 the silver dollar had a larger amount of alloy, but only the same amount of silver as now, the total weight being 416 grains. The gold dollar as a distinct coin was first made in 1849. The eagles, half eagles, and quarter eagles coined before 1834 contained 24.75 grains of gold and 2.25 grains of alloy for each dollar.
  2. A coin of the same general weight and value, though differing slightly in different countries, current in Mexico, Canada, parts of South America, also in Spain, and several other European countries.
  3. The value of a dollar; the unit commonly employed in the United States in reckoning money values. dollar bill. A paper note printed by the Treasury, or by on of the Federal Reserve Banks under authority of the treasury, having the value of one dollar. Five dollar bill, ten dollar bill, etc. Notes with the value of five, ten, etc. dollars. See dolar bill. Prior to 1964 such notes could be redemed for the equivalent dollar value of silver coins, but in that year the backing of the currency with silver was discontinued. Such notes not convertible into precious metals at a fixed rate are called "fiat money", receiving their value solely from the good faith of the issuing government.

Webster 1913