1
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
Jay Clayton3
: 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)
The Times Literary Supplement (London)would repay him with the full coin of his mind—Ian Fleming
Ian Fleming4
: 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 coin—Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
coined; coining; coins
Synonyms
Noun
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 WebKyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
In response, many artists have started dumping out more and more content, like so many coins dropped into the slot machines of an algorithmic casino.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
The wearable reader is a magnetic-signal transmitter-receiver about the size of a stack of three or four American Kennedy half-dollars or E.U. 10 Euro collector coins.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2024
While plans to mint more coins have not been shared, those interested can sign up for email restock notifications on the U.S. Mint website.
—Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Earlier research shows that, when asked to choose between two items, dogs pick the correct one about half the time — no better than a coin flip.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
More accessible chambers harbor other histories: an Incan vase filled with gold coins, shards of a Spanish olive jar stained with the oldest wine in the Americas.
—Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Related article 70 coins removed from stomach of alligator at Nebraska zoo
The behemoth is named Albert, according to a report from CNN affiliate WKBW.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
Try filling up a plastic kiddie pool and tossing in a bunch of small toys, like plastic animals or gold coins.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 17 Mar. 2024
Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
This approach is what University of Tennessee researchers coined a ‘Vested’ sourcing business model because the buying organization and the supplier have a vested interest in the outcomes and each other’s success.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Singers and rappers, often raised in immigrant families, have coined new terms.
—Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The nationwide deal is coined as Krispy Kreme’s Super Twosday and customers can score two original glazed donuts, no purchase necessary.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
Non-Sleep Deep Rest was reportedly coined by Dr Andrew D. Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, in 2022.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2024
Experts have been forced to coin a new term for fires exceeding 1 million acres: gigafire.
—ProPublica, 16 Mar. 2024
The crime of genocide is not new and has never gone away, although it was not coined as a term until Polish lawyer Raphäel Lemkin did so in 1944 combining the Greek prefix genos, meaning race or tribe, with the Latin suffix cide, meaning killing.
—Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
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
Kim Chatelain, NOLA.com, 21 June 2017
Noun
The price of Bitcoin is hitting all-time highs of above seventy thousand dollars per coin, and not because of any major technological update.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024
In response, many artists have started dumping out more and more content, like so many coins dropped into the slot machines of an algorithmic casino.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
The wearable reader is a magnetic-signal transmitter-receiver about the size of a stack of three or four American Kennedy half-dollars or E.U. 10 Euro collector coins.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2024
While plans to mint more coins have not been shared, those interested can sign up for email restock notifications on the U.S. Mint website.
—Michelle Bruton, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Earlier research shows that, when asked to choose between two items, dogs pick the correct one about half the time — no better than a coin flip.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
More accessible chambers harbor other histories: an Incan vase filled with gold coins, shards of a Spanish olive jar stained with the oldest wine in the Americas.
—Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Related article 70 coins removed from stomach of alligator at Nebraska zoo
The behemoth is named Albert, according to a report from CNN affiliate WKBW.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
Try filling up a plastic kiddie pool and tossing in a bunch of small toys, like plastic animals or gold coins.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 17 Mar. 2024
Verb
However, the donation, which some Republicans have coined Zuckerbucks, an anti-Semitic term, according to some watchdogs, became the eye of conspiracy theories that was basically pushed by Trump and his allies who falsely claimed that the funds benefited Democrats.
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
This approach is what University of Tennessee researchers coined a ‘Vested’ sourcing business model because the buying organization and the supplier have a vested interest in the outcomes and each other’s success.
—Kate Vitasek, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Singers and rappers, often raised in immigrant families, have coined new terms.
—Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
The nationwide deal is coined as Krispy Kreme’s Super Twosday and customers can score two original glazed donuts, no purchase necessary.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
Non-Sleep Deep Rest was reportedly coined by Dr Andrew D. Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, in 2022.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2024
Experts have been forced to coin a new term for fires exceeding 1 million acres: gigafire.
—ProPublica, 16 Mar. 2024
The crime of genocide is not new and has never gone away, although it was not coined as a term until Polish lawyer Raphäel Lemkin did so in 1944 combining the Greek prefix genos, meaning race or tribe, with the Latin suffix cide, meaning killing.
—Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
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
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
Phrases Containing coin
Dictionary Entries Near coin
Cite this Entry
“Coin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coin. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
coin
1 of 3 noun1
: a piece of metal put out by a government authority as money
2
: metal money
three dollars in coin
coin
3 of 3 adjective1
: of or relating to coins
a coin show
2
: operated by coins
a laundromat's coin washers
More from Merriam-Webster on coin
Nglish: Translation of coin for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of coin for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about coin
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