# dime

/ˈdaɪm/ (US) · /dˈaɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dime
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. ten-cent coin

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

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

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

- I found a dime and two nickels at the bottom of my bag.
- The vending machine was old and only accepted specific denominations, rejecting my dime several times before finally processing the transaction.

### 2. a perfect person

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal · American English

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

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

- He thinks his new girlfriend is a total dime.
- The lyrics frequently use the term 'dime' to objectify women based on a superficial ten-point rating scale.

### 3. an assist

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · American English

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

For teachers: a term used in basketball to describe a successful assist.

- The point guard dropped a beautiful dime to the center for an easy dunk.
- He finished the game with twelve points and six dimes, proving his value as a playmaker rather than just a scorer.

### 4. to inform on someone

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · American English

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

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

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

## Examples

- She is a total dime.
- The comment section was full of people calling the lead actress a dime after the trailer dropped.

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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.