coin

An Ancient Greek coin, circa 315–308 BC, made of silver

An English coin, 1703, made of gold

From Middle English coyn, from Old French coigne (“wedge, cornerstone, die for stamping”), from Latin cuneus (“wedge”). Doublet of coign and cuneus. See also quoin (“cornerstone”). Displaced Middle English mynt, from Old English mynet (whence modern English mint), which was derived from Latin monēta.

• IPA^(key): /kɔɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (Appalachians, obsolete) IPA^(key): /kwaɪn/[1]
• Rhymes: -ɔɪn
• Homophones: coign, quoin

coin (countable and uncountable, plural coins)

1. (money) A piece of currency, usually metallic and in the shape of a disc, but sometimes polygonal, or with a hole in the middle.
   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     ...the coins were of all countries and sizes - doubloons, and louis d'ors, and guineas, and pieces of eight...

2. A token used in a special establishment like a casino.

   Synonym: chip

3. (figurative) That which serves for payment or recompense.
   • 1654, H[enry] Hammond, Of Fundamentals in a Notion Referring to Practise, London: […] J[ames] Flesher for Richard Royston, […], →OCLC:

     The loss of every present advantage to flesh and blood is repaid in a nobler coin.

4. (uncountable, figurative) Something in broad circulation or use.
   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto XXXVI, page 56:

     Tho’ truths in manhood darkly join,
     ⁠Deep-seated in our mystic frame,
     ⁠We yield all blessing to the name
     Of Him that made them current coin; […]

5. (uncountable, slang, UK, US, African-American Vernacular) Money in general, not limited to coins.

   Synonyms: money; see also Thesaurus:money

   She spent some serious coin on that car!

   • 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 199:

     It was the biggest thing in the town, and everybody I met was full of it. They were going to run an over-sea empire, and make no end of coin by trade.

   • 2014, Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”, in The Pinkprint:

     Boy toy named Troy, used to live in Detroit, big dope dealer money he was getting some coin.

6. (card games) One of the suits of minor arcana in tarot, or a card of that suit.
7. A corner or external angle.

   Synonyms: wedge, quoin

8. A small circular slice of food.
   • 2015, Fodor's The Carolinas & Georgia:

     For munchies try deep-fried jalapeño coins, jumbo Buffalo wings, and hush puppies with a sweet edge.

   • 2020, Evan Bloom, Rachel Levin, Eat Something, page 76:

     Spread out four bread and butter pickle coins on top, and sprinkle with onion.

9. (informal, cryptocurrencies) A cryptocurrency; a cryptocoin.

   What's the best coin to buy right now?

• → Japanese: コイン (koin)

coin (third-person singular simple present coins, present participle coining, simple past and past participle coined)

1. To make of a definite fineness, and convert into coins, as a mass of metal.

   Synonyms: mint, manufacture

   to coin silver dollars

   to coin a medal

   • 1898 September, Alexander E. Outerbridge Jr., “Curiosities of American Coinage”, in Popular Science Monthly‎, volume 53, D. Appleton & Company, page 601:

     Many persons believe that the so-called "dollar of the daddies," weighing 412½ grains (nine tenths fine), having a ratio to gold of "16 to 1" in value when first coined, was the original dollar of the Constitution.

2. (by extension) To make or fabricate (especially a word or phrase).

   Synonyms: invent, originate

   Over the last century the advance in science has led to many new words being coined.

   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 15:

     Not fearing outward force: So ſhall my Lungs / Coine words till their decay, againſt thoſe Meazels

   • 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 1:

     Some tale, some new pretense, he daily coined, / To soothe his sister and delude her mind.

3. To acquire rapidly, as money; to make.
   • 1691, [John Locke], Some Considerations of the Consequences of the Lowering of Interest, and Raising the Value of Money. […], London: […] Awnsham and John Churchill, […], published 1692, →OCLC, page 36:

     [...] Tenants cannot coin their Rent juſt at Quarter-day, but muſt gather it up by degrees, and lodge it with them till Pay-day, or borrow it of thoſe who have it lying by them, [...]

• coin a phrase
• coin it
• new-coin (newcoin)

• ICON, Nico, cion, coni, icon

• IPA^(key): /kwɛ̃/

• audio

  (file)

• Homophones: coing, coings, coins

Inherited from Old French coin, from Latin cuneus (“wedge”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱū (“sting”).

coin m (plural coins)

1. wedge, cornerpiece
2. corner

   L’église fait le coin.

   The church is just on the corner.

   • 2016, Joey Richardière, Une fille venue d'ailleurs, Chiado:

     Lorsque les copains se retrouvaient au café du coin, pour boire une bière, taquiner le flipper ou le baby-foot, il n’était accepté que parce qu’il régalait.

     When the mates met up in the café at the corner, to drink a beer, have a go at the pinball machine or the football table, he was only tolerated because he treated them.

3. area, part, place, spot

   « Je suis le seul robot dans ce coin. »

   "I am the only robot around here."

Imitative.

coin

1. quack

• “coin”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• IPA^(key): /kɪnʲ/

coin

1. inflection of cú:
   1. (archaic) dative singular
   2. nominative/vocative/dative plural

coin

1. Alternative form of coyn (“coin, quoin”)

• IPA^(key): /konʲ/

coin

1. inflection of cú:
   1. accusative/dative singular
   2. nominative/vocative/accusative dual
   3. nominative plural

From Proto-Celtic *kunes (compare Welsh cŵn, Cornish keun).

coin m pl

1. nominative/dative plural of cù (“dog”)

   is fheàrr leam coin ― I prefer dogs

   ghabh e eagal ro na coin ― he got a fright from the dogs

From Proto-Celtic *kunos (compare Welsh cŵn, Cornish keun).

coin m sg

1. indefinite genitive singular of cù (“dog”)

   a' marbhadh coin mhairbh ― flogging a dead horse (literally, “killing a dead dog”)