coin
/kɔɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /kɔɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯin/ (ame, mw)
coin — noun
- coinsingular
- coinsplural
1. a small metal disc that a government stamps with a design and people use to buy
a small metal disc that a government stamps with a design and people use to buy things
Priya found an old silver coin buried in the garden while planting a rose bush.
countable: found + [coin] + location
The shopkeeper examined the coin carefully before accepting it from the tourist.
examine + [coin] for authenticity
Aiko keeps her favourite coin from Japan in a small blue box beside her bed.
The ticket machine rejected Yusuf's coin because it was slightly bent at the edge.
Leila flipped a coin to decide whether to take the train or the bus.
- banknote
paper money of an equivalent function
常見錯誤
2. metal coins thought of as a type of money, rather than paper notes or digital pa
metal coins thought of as a type of money, rather than paper notes or digital payments
The donation box was surprisingly heavy with coin collected from generous visitors.
uncountable mass: heavy with coin
Banks often face high costs when transporting and counting large amounts of coin.
amounts of coin = quantity as mass
Ravi emptied the loose coin from his pockets onto the counter and counted it.
The cashier keeps a separate drawer for coin because it weighs more than paper notes.
- paper money
banknotes, the physical alternative to coin
- digital payment
electronic money such as cards or apps
用法筆記
When referring to coins as a medium of exchange rather than individual objects, this sense is uncountable and takes a singular verb: 'Coin is heavy to carry.'
常見錯誤
coin — verb
- coinpresent simple I / you / we / they
- coins3rd person singular
- coining-ing form
- coinedpast simple
1. to produce a metal coin by stamping a flat piece of metal with a design, usually
to produce a metal coin by stamping a flat piece of metal with a design, usually at an official mint
The mint coined silver pieces to celebrate the country's fiftieth anniversary.
active: mint + coined + [coin type] for celebration
Workers at the Birmingham factory coined thousands of copper pennies every day during the 1800s.
historical context: coined + [metal] + [coin type]
The government decided to coin new one-dollar pieces using a stronger metal mixture.
Before modern machines, workers coined each piece by hand with a hammer and die.
文法句型
coin + [coin type]
coin + [metal] + into + [coins]
用法筆記
This sense is less common in everyday speech today because most coins are produced by automated processes. It appears most often in historical texts or descriptions of minting processes.
常見錯誤
2. to create a new word, phrase, or expression that people begin to use, often in a
to create a new word, phrase, or expression that people begin to use, often in a particular field or for a new concept
The word 'robot' was coined by writer Karel Čapek in a 1920 play about artificial workers.
was coined by + [author] in [work]
Dr. Okafor coined the term 'digital well-being' during a speech on technology and mental health.
coin + [term] + in [context/speech]
Advertising agencies frequently coin catchy slogans that aim to capture the spirit of a brand.
Social media users coined the slang term 'ghosting' to describe suddenly ending all contact with someone.
No dictionary had listed the phrase before the novelist coined it in her award-winning book.
文法句型
coin + [word/term/phrase]
be coined by + [person]
用法筆記
From the Latin 'cuneus' (wedge) — the same root as the verb for minting coins. The idea of 'stamping' a new word into existence is a metaphor drawn from the physical process of pressing a design into metal. Use only for words, phrases, and expressions, never for physical objects, machines, or inventions.
常見錯誤
3. to make a large amount of money in a short time, especially through a successful
to make a large amount of money in a short time, especially through a successful business, investment, or popular product
Since launching their food delivery app, the founders have been coining money beyond all expectation.
coining money = earning lots quickly
The bakery on Elm Street is coining it in as the area's only fresh bread shop.
coining it in = informal British idiom
Fashion bloggers who post daily videos can coin it if their channel draws a large audience.
When the shopping centre opened, the café next door was coining money from the extra visitors.
- rake in
also informal; 'rake in the money' suggests effortless accumulation
- clean up
informal; 'clean up' can mean making a big profit in a short time
- print money
informal idiom; suggests effortless and plentiful earnings
- lose money
the direct financial opposite
文法句型
be coining money
be coining it in
用法筆記
Almost always used in a continuous tense ('be coining it' / 'be coining money'). The shorter form 'coin it' is common in British English but rare in American English. Not used in formal writing.
常見錯誤
coin — adjective
- coinpositive
- coinercomparative
- coinestsuperlative
1. describing a device or machine that begins working when a coin is put into a slo
describing a device or machine that begins working when a coin is put into a slot
The basement coin laundry has six machines at two dollars per load.
coin laundry = self-service laundromat
Nadia used a coin-operated telescope on the hilltop to watch ships far out at sea.
coin-operated + [device] for public use
An old coin-operated phone booth still stands on the corner, though nobody uses it anymore.
The children begged their aunt for coins to ride the coin-operated pony outside the store.
- coin-operated
the full form
- slot machine
specific to gambling machines, not a direct synonym for all coin-operated devices
用法筆記
Often shortened to just the first word in everyday speech: 'coin laundry,' 'coin phone,' 'coin machine.' The full form 'coin-operated' is more formal and more common in written descriptions.
常見錯誤
2. relating to the study, history, collection, or production of metal coins
relating to the study, history, collection, or production of metal coins
The museum's coin exhibition displays rare pieces from ancient Rome, Greece, and China.
coin exhibition = display of coins
Uncle Theo has a large coin collection that includes gold sovereigns from the Victorian era.
coin collection = hobbyist collection
A well-written coin catalogue includes clear photographs of both sides of every coin listed.
The reference library has an excellent coin section with guides to identifying ancient currency.
- numismatic
formal; refers specifically to the academic study of coins and currency
用法筆記
This attributive use of 'coin' is common in specialist or hobbyist contexts. It is not used predicatively: you would not say 'this exhibition is very coin.'