dollar

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The unit of money used in the United States, Canada, Australia and many other countries, written $.

   The book costs ten dollars.

2. 2
   noun

   A note or coin worth one dollar.

   She handed the cashier a crumpled dollar.

3. 3
   noun

   Money in general, especially as a symbol of wealth or greed.

   He worships the almighty dollar above everything else.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Dollar comes from German Thaler or Taler, shortened from Joachimsthaler, the name of a silver coin minted from ore at Joachimsthal, “Joachim’s valley,” now Jáchymov in the Czech Republic. The name was later applied to a widely traded Spanish American coin, and the United States adopted dollar for its monetary unit after independence.

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *dalą Proto-West Germanic *dal Old High German tal Middle High German tal German Tal German Talerder. Middle Low German dālerbor. Dutch dalerbor. English dollar Attested since the mid-16th century, from early Dutch daler, daalder, from German Taler, Thaler (“dollar”), earlier Joachimsthaler, literally “of Joachimstal”, the town where the original dollars were minted. The name means “(Saint) Joachim's valley”, from Joachim + Tal. Possibly reinforced by the Dutch leeuwendaalder, which was also used in the American colonies. Doublet of taler /thaler and tolar.

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