coin

Etymology

A coin.

From Middle English coyn, from Old French coigne (“wedge, cornerstone, die for stamping”), from Latin cuneus (“wedge”). Doublet of cuneus. See also quoin (“cornerstone”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔɪn
• Homophones: coign, quoin

Noun

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.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     ...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 (also called a chip).
3. (figuratively) That which serves for payment or recompense.
   • Hammond

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

4. (uncountable, slang, US, African American Vernacular) money in general, not limited to coins

   She spent some serious coin on that car!

5. One of the suits of minor arcana in tarot, or a card of that suit.
6. A quoin; a corner or external angle; a wedge.
7. 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.

Verb

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; to mint; to manufacture.

   to coin silver dollars; to coin a medal

2. To make or fabricate; to invent; to originate.

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

   • Dryden

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

3. To acquire rapidly, as money; to make.
   • John Locke

     Tenants cannot coin rent just at quarter day.

Anagrams

• Nico, cion, coni, icon

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kwɛ̃/

• audio

  (file)

• Homophone: coing

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

Imitative.

Further reading

• “coin” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɪnʲ/

Noun

coin

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

Mutation

Noun

coin

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /konʲ/

Noun

coin

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

Mutation

Etymology

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

Noun

coin m pl

1. plural of cù (“dog”)