dime a dozen
noun
Idioms 1.
a cupronickel-clad coin of the U.S. and Canada, the 10th part of a dollar, equal to 10 cents.
2.
3.
a dime a dozen, Informal. so abundant that the value has decreased; readily available.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French di(s)me < Latin decima tenth part, tithe, noun use of feminine of decimus tenth, derivative of decem ten
1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French di(s)me < Latin decima tenth part, tithe, noun use of feminine of decimus tenth, derivative of decem ten
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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|
Link To dime a dozen
00:10
Dime a dozen
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
dime (daɪm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a coin of the US and Canada, worth one tenth of a dollar or ten cents |
| 2. | a dime a dozen very cheap or common |
| [C14: from Old French disme, from Latin decimus tenth, from decem ten] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
dime
chosen 1786 as name for U.S. 10 cent coin, from dime "a tenth, tithe" (late 14c.), from O.Fr. disme, from L. decima (pars) "tenth (part)," from decem "ten" (see ten). The verb meaning "to inform" (on someone) is 1960s, from the then-cost of a pay phone call. A dime a dozen "almost
worthless" first recorded 1930. Phrase stop on a dime attested by 1954 (a dime being the physically smallest unit of U.S. currency).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
dime a dozen
So plentiful as to be valueless. For example, Don't bother to buy one of these
they're a dime a dozen. The dime was declared the American ten-cent coin in 1786 by the Continental Congress. [First half of 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Nearby Words
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