dime

IPA/daɪm/
KK[dˈaɪm]IPA/daɪm/

dime — noun

  • dimesingular
  • dimesplural

1. a small silver-coloured American coin equal in value to ten cents, or one-tenth

1.nounB1
Definition

a small silver-coloured American coin equal in value to ten cents, or one-tenth of a US dollar; the same coin also circulates in Canada.

Example

Eri dropped a dime into the parking meter outside the bakery.

drop a dime into [container]

The newspaper used to cost a dime when Benjamin was a child in Boston.

cost a dime — historical price

Common collocations
  • a shiny dime
  • drop a dime
  • a handful of dimes
  • worth a dime
Synonyms
  • ten-cent piece

    more descriptive phrasing used in formal or explanatory contexts

  • ten cents

    names the value rather than the physical coin

Grammar Patterns

a dime

the price of a dime

Usage Note

Frequently appears alongside other coin names (penny, nickel, quarter) when prices or change are discussed. The plural 'dimes' is used for amounts beyond one.

Common Mistakes

I paid one dime dollar for the bread.
I paid ten cents for the bread.
'dime' refers to the coin or the value ten cents, not a unit you combine with 'dollar'.
The coin is a five-dime piece.
The coin is a fifty-cent piece.
'dime' specifically names the ten-cent coin; larger values are not expressed as multiples of 'dime'.

2. in American football, a defensive formation in which the team places six defensi

2.nounC1
Definition

in American football, a defensive formation in which the team places six defensive backs on the field, usually to stop long passing plays.

Example

Coach Walid called the dime to shut down the long passes in the fourth quarter.

call the dime — coaching collocation

The Broncos ran a dime on third-and-long and forced the quarterback to scramble.

run a dime on third-and-long

Common collocations
  • run a dime
  • call a dime
  • dime package
  • go dime
Synonyms
  • dime package

    fuller name; same meaning, often heard in commentary

  • six-DB set

    technical coaching shorthand for the same formation

Antonyms
  • nickel

    the five-defensive-back formation, one step lighter on coverage

Grammar Patterns

the dime

play dime

in dime

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this football sense always appears in defensive-formation contexts and almost never takes an article-plus-numeric reading. Often paired with 'nickel' (five defensive backs) for contrast.

Common Mistakes

The team scored a dime in the first half.
The team ran a dime in the first half.
the football 'dime' is a defensive setup, not points or scoring.

3. in basketball slang, a brilliantly accurate pass that puts a teammate in an idea

3.nounC1
Definition

in basketball slang, a brilliantly accurate pass that puts a teammate in an ideal spot to score easily.

Example

Esme dropped a dime to her teammate under the basket for an easy lay-up.

drop a dime to [player] — set-up pass

Kofi threw a no-look dime across the lane and the crowd erupted.

throw a no-look dime

Common collocations
  • drop a dime
  • throw a dime
  • no-look dime
  • behind-the-back dime
Synonyms
  • assist

    the formal stat term; 'dime' is the slang flavour used in commentary and chat

  • dish

    similar slang; often interchangeable in casual basketball talk

Antonyms
  • turnover

    the opposite outcome — losing the ball instead of setting up a teammate

Grammar Patterns

drop a dime

throw a dime

Usage Note

Subject is almost always a passer (point guard, playmaker). Frequently collocates with 'drop' or 'throw'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is countable as a stat ('twelve dimes' = twelve assists) but never refers to a coin.

Common Mistakes

She scored a dime with her three-pointer.
She dropped a dime that led to a three-pointer.
a 'dime' in basketball is the pass that sets up the score, not the score itself.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words name the everyday US coins by their value. 'Penny' is the smallest, worth one cent; 'nickel' is worth five cents; 'dime' is ten cents and is the physically smallest of the four; 'quarter' is twenty-five cents and the largest in size and value. Note that the size order does not match the value order — a dime is smaller than a nickel even though it is worth twice as much, which often confuses learners. All four are used both for the physical coin ('drop a dime in the slot') and as quick shorthand for the value ('the call costs a quarter'). 'Penny' and 'dime' also appear in fixed idioms ('not a penny', 'a dime a dozen') that the other two lack.

dime ↗nickel ↗penny ↗quarter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

  • of (a handful of dimes)
  • for (sold for a dime)
  • in (in dimes)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishAmerican English

The word reached English in the late 14th century from Old French 'disme' (a tenth, a tithe), itself from Latin 'decima' meaning 'tenth part'. It first referred to a tithe — the tenth share given to the church — and was reapplied in 1786 to the new United States ten-cent coin, where the same one-tenth idea fits naturally (one dime = one tenth of a dollar). The football and basketball senses are 20th-century American extensions: the football formation likely picked up the name because it adds one more defender to the 'nickel' (five-DB) package, just as a dime adds to a nickel in value; the basketball slang sense traces to playground use, possibly via the older phrase 'drop a dime on' (to inform on someone using a pay phone) reinterpreted as setting up a teammate.