# cash

/ˈkæʃ/ (US) · /kˈæʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cash
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. physical money

noun · CEFR A2

money in the form of coins and paper notes, rather than a credit card or cheque.

For teachers: currency in the form of notes and coins, as distinguished from cheques, credit, or electronic transfers.

- The shop offers a small discount if you pay in cash instead of using a card.
- Small vendors in the market often prefer cash transactions to avoid the processing fees associated with digital payment platforms.

### 2. liquid assets

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

money that is available to spend immediately, not tied up in property or investments.

For teachers: liquid assets or funds immediately available for use, as distinct from fixed assets or long-term investments.

- The company has enough cash to pay its employees for the next six months.
- The corporation maintained a significant cash reserve to ensure it could respond quickly to unexpected market fluctuations or acquisition opportunities.

### 3. checkout counter

noun · CEFR B1 · American English · Dialect

the place in a shop where you pay for your items.

For teachers: the physical location or counter in a retail establishment where transactions are processed.

- Please bring your items to the cash at the front of the store.
- A long queue formed at the main cash as the store struggled with a temporary failure of its automated checkout systems.

### 4. to exchange a cheque

verb · CEFR B1

to give a cheque to a bank and receive the value in paper money.

For teachers: to exchange a financial instrument, such as a cheque or money order, for its equivalent value in currency.

- He went to the bank to cash his weekly paycheck before the weekend.
- The traveller had difficulty cashing the old personal cheque because the local branch required two forms of government-issued identification.

### 5. to win a prize

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

to finish high enough in a competition to win a money prize.

For teachers: to achieve a ranking in a tournament or competition that entitles the participant to a monetary payout.

- She was happy to cash in her first professional poker tournament.
- Despite a rocky start, the professional golfer managed to cash by finishing in the top forty after the final round.

### 6. excellent

adjective · CEFR C2 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for something that is very good or cool.

For teachers: an informal evaluative term signifying high quality, excellence, or social coolness.

- That new skateboard you bought is totally cash.
- The teenagers described the underground concert as cash, using the term to denote both its quality and its exclusive status.

## Examples

- I do not have any cash in my wallet today.
- The small bakery only accepts cash, so you will need to find an ATM before we go inside.
- While digital transactions are becoming the global standard, many economies still rely heavily on physical cash for daily micro-transactions and privacy-sensitive exchanges.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.