coin
coin
Pronunciation
coin: /kɔɪn/
/kɔɪ/ - Represents the "coi" sound, a diphthong
/n/ - Represents the "n" sound
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: coin
Plural Noun: coins
Verb (base form): coin
Verb (third-person singular present): coins
Verb (present participle): coining
Verb (past tense/past participle): coined
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A small, flat, typically round piece of metal, usually stamped with a distinctive mark and issued by a government as money.
Synonyms: specie, currency, lucre (informal), cash, hard currency
Antonyms: bill (paper money), note (paper money), digital currency
Definition 2: A disc-shaped object used in games of chance, often tossed to determine an outcome.
Synonyms: token, medallion, chit
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific use)
Verb
Definition 1: To invent or devise (a new word or phrase).
Synonyms: invent, create, formulate, originate, mint (in the sense of creating something new)
Antonyms: copy, adopt, borrow, reproduce
Definition 2: To make (coins) by stamping metal.
Synonyms: mint, stamp, strike, cast
Antonyms: melt, demonetize (in the sense of taking currency out of circulation)
Examples of Use
Books:
"He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single silver coin, its surface worn smooth by countless transactions." (From a work of fiction, illustrating the common noun use)
"The author was lauded for his ability to coin new phrases that perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the era." (From a literary criticism text, demonstrating the verb "to invent")
Newspapers:
"The central bank announced plans to introduce a new bimetallic coin to commemorate the nation's centenary." ( The Daily Chronicle)
"Economists are debating whether the term 'stagflation' should be re-coined to describe current market conditions." (Financial Times)
Online Publications:
"Blockchain technology has given rise to a new era of digital currencies, fundamentally changing how we view the humble coin." (TechCrunch)
"The popular online forum often sees users attempting to coin new internet slang that quickly goes viral." (Reddit)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Video Game: "Collect all the gold coins to unlock the bonus level!" (In-game instruction from a popular platformer)
Film Dialogue: "You flip a coin, I call it in the air." (Line from a suspense film, illustrating the game-of-chance noun use)
Song Lyrics: "Every lonely coin I save, is for a brighter day." (From a folk song, reflecting the monetary noun use)
Podcast: "The host humorously suggested that he should coin a new award for the most outlandish listener question." (From a comedy podcast, May 2025)
General Public Discourse:
"Do you have a coin for the parking meter?" (Casual conversation among friends)
"That's a clever way to coin a phrase for the situation." (Informal remark about a well-articulated statement)
10 Quotes Using Coin
"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." (Carl Sandburg)
"Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin." (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
"Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once." (Lillian Dickson)
"In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later." (Harold S. Geneen)
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"Words are the coins making up the currency of sentences, and there are always too many small coins." (Jules Renard)
"Laughter is the mind's intonation. There are ways of laughing which have the sound of counterfeit coins." (Edmond de Goncourt)
"Elimination of child labour and access to education are like two sides of one coin. One cannot be achieved without the other." (Kailash Satyarthi)
"The shrewd guess, the fertile hypothesis, the courageous leap to a tentative conclusion - these are the most valuable coins of the thinker at work." (Jerome Bruner)
"My perspective on life is now to try to play music that reflects that life and death are part of the same coin." (Wayne Shorter)
Etymology
The word "coin" has a fascinating journey through different languages, primarily rooted in the idea of a "wedge" or "corner."
It ultimately comes from the Latin word cuneus, which meant "wedge." Imagine a metal wedge used to shape or mark something.
From Latin, it moved into Old French as coin (pronounced something like "kwan" or "koyn"). In Old French, it started to have a few related meanings:
A "wedge" or "corner" (still holding onto the original Latin sense).
A "die" or "stamp" – specifically, the tool used to press a design onto metal. This is a crucial step!
The "piece of metal" itself that had been stamped, or the "money."
When the word came into English from Old French (around the 14th century), it kept these various meanings.
So, the first known use and meaning in English, dating back to the 14th century, referred to:
A "die" or "stamp" for making money. This was the initial primary sense in English.
Soon after, it also began to refer to the piece of metal itself that was produced by such a stamp, used as money.
Over time, the meaning of "coin" as the actual piece of money became the most common use, while the sense of the "die" or "stamp" became less frequent or more specialized (though we still see it in the verb "to coin money," meaning to produce it). The verb "to coin" also expanded to mean "to invent" or "to create" a new word or phrase, drawing on the idea of making something new, just like a mint makes new money.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Coin
To coin a phrase: To invent a new expression or saying.
To coin money: To make money very quickly and easily.
To flip a coin: To decide something by tossing a coin in the air and seeing which side lands face up.
The other side of the coin: A different or opposite aspect of a situation.
Not worth a bent coin: Of no value at all; worthless.
To pay in one's own coin: To treat someone in the same way they have treated you (often negatively).
To toss a coin: (Same as "to flip a coin") To decide something by chance.
To coin it in: (British informal) To earn a lot of money.
A penny for your thoughts, a dime for your dreams, a dollar for your heart: (Lesser-known, poetic use) Suggests valuing different aspects of a person.
Every coin has two sides: Every situation has two contrasting viewpoints or aspects.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of coin from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
