ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dime

n. · v.
US //ˈdaɪm// UK //dˈaɪm// dime
  1. 1 ten-cent coin (n.)
    B1 Intermediate American English

    a small silver-coloured coin used in the US and Canada, worth ten cents.

    a physical coin or denomination worth one-tenth of a United States or Canadian dollar.

    Example

    I found a dime and two nickels at the bottom of my bag.

    Example

    The vending machine was old and only accepted specific denominations, rejecting my dime several times before finally processing the transaction.
    • ten cents
  2. 2 a perfect person (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang Informal American English

    a very attractive person, often described as a '10' on a scale of one to ten.

    a slang term for an exceptionally attractive individual, derived from the numerical value of ten.

    Example

    He thinks his new girlfriend is a total dime.

    Example

    The lyrics frequently use the term 'dime' to objectify women based on a superficial ten-point rating scale.
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 an assist (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal American English Sport

    a great pass in basketball that helps a teammate score a basket.

    a term used in basketball to describe a successful assist.

    Example

    The point guard dropped a beautiful dime to the center for an easy dunk.

    Example

    He finished the game with twelve points and six dimes, proving his value as a playmaker rather than just a scorer.
  2. 4 to inform on someone (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang American English

    to tell the police or an authority figure about someone's secret or crime.

    to inform on or betray an associate to the authorities, often used in the phrase 'dime out'.

    Example

    He was afraid his partner would dime him out to the cops to get a lighter sentence.

    Example

    The informant was hesitant to dime out his associates, fearing the inevitable retaliation from the street gang.

    Usage

    Often used as the phrasal verb 'dime out'.
Etymology 1

From Middle English dime, from Anglo-Norman disme (“one tenth, tithe”) (modern French dîme), from Medieval Latin decima, from Latin decima (pars) (“tenth (part)”). Doublet of decim, decima, and decime.

Etymology 2

From the use of the coin in a payphone to report a crime to the police. US payphones charged 10¢ in almost all jurisdictions until the late 1970s.

Idioms5 entries

© 2026 English Reference