ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mint

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈmɪnt// UK //mˈɪnt// mint
  1. 1 the plant or flavour (n.)
    A2 Elementary Cooking

    a plant with a fresh smell and taste, used in cooking, tea, or sweets.

    any aromatic plant of the genus Mentha, or the essential oil and flavouring derived from it.

    Example

    I love the taste of fresh mint in my lemonade during the summer.

    Example

    The chef garnished the dessert with a sprig of fresh mint to contrast the richness of the dark chocolate.
  2. 2 a candy (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    a small, hard sweet that tastes like the mint plant, often used to make your breath smell fresh.

    a peppermint-flavoured lozenge or candy, frequently consumed as a breath freshener.

    Example

    He offered me a mint after we finished our garlicky dinner.

    Example

    She kept a small tin of extra-strong mints in her handbag for use before important client meetings.
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  1. 3 place where money is made (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    a place where a country's official coins and notes are made.

    a primary industrial facility or institution where a government authorises the production of legal tender.

    Example

    The royal mint is responsible for making all the new coins in the country.

    Example

    The national mint increased production of the commemorative gold coins to meet the unexpected surge in collector demand.
    • coinery
  2. 4 a large amount of money (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    a very large amount of money.

    a vast sum of money; often used in the phrase 'to make a mint'.

    Example

    That tech company must be making a mint with their new app.

    Example

    After the patent was approved, the inventors made a mint by selling the rights to a multinational corporation.
    • pittance
  3. 5 perfect condition (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    in perfect condition, looking exactly like it did when it was new.

    in original, pristine condition as if newly produced; frequently used by collectors of books, cars, or records.

    Example

    He sold his old comic book for a lot of money because it was in mint condition.

    Example

    The vintage sports car was found in a garage, still in mint condition despite being thirty years old.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'in mint condition'.
  4. 6 excellent (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Slang British English Dialect

    very good or excellent.

    an adjective of high praise meaning excellent or very attractive.

    Example

    That new jacket you bought is absolutely mint.

    Example

    The atmosphere at the concert last night was mint, and the band played all their best hits.
  5. 7 to create money or tokens (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Computing

    to make new coins or to create a new digital currency.

    to manufacture coins by stamping metal; in modern contexts, to create a new digital asset or NFT on a blockchain.

    Example

    The government decided to mint more coins to celebrate the anniversary.

    Example

    The artist announced they would mint a limited series of digital artworks on the blockchain next Tuesday.
Etymology 1

From Middle English mynt, münet (“money, coin”), from Old English mynet (“coin”), from late Proto-West Germanic *munit, from Latin monēta (“place for making coins, coined money”), from the temple of Juno Moneta (named for Monēta mother of the Muses), where coins were made. Doublet of money and manat. The verb is from the noun; Old English mynetian (“to mint”) is a parallel formation.

Etymology 2

From Middle English mynte, from Old English minte (“mint plant”), from Proto-West Germanic *mintā (“mint”), from Latin menta, probably from a lost Mediterranean language either through Ancient Greek μίνθη (mínthē), μίνθα (míntha) or directly. Akin to Old Norse minta (“mint”). Doublet of mentha.

Etymology 3

From Middle English minten, from Old English myntan (“to mean, intend, purpose, determine, resolve”), from Proto-West Germanic muntijan (“to think, consider”), from Proto-Indo-European men-, *mnā- (“to think”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian mintsje, muntsje (“to aim, target”), Dutch munten (“to aim at, target”), German Low German münten (“to aim at”), German münzen (“to aim at”), Dutch monter (“cheerful, gladsome, spry”), Gothic 𐌼𐌿𐌽𐍃 (muns, “thought, opinion”), Old English munan (“to be mindful of, consider, intend”). More at mind.

Idioms1 entry

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