coin

coin¹ W3S3 [kɔın] n

[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: 'three-sided piece, corner', from Latin cuneus; CUNEIFORM]

1.)

a piece of metal, usually flat and round, that is used as money

→↑bill, note ↑note

2.) toss/flip a coin

to choose or decide something by throwing a coin into the air and guessing which side of it will show when it falls

▪ Let's toss a coin to see who goes first.

3.) the other/opposite side of the coin

a different or opposite way of thinking about something

▪ Making the rules is only part of it. How the rules are carried out is the other side of the coin.

4.) two sides of the same coin

two problems or situations that are so closely connected that they are really just two parts of the same thing

▪ Great opportunity and great danger are two sides of the same coin.

5.) [U]

money in the form of metal coins

coin ²

coin² v [T ]

1.) to invent a new word or expression, especially one that many people start to use

▪ The word 'aromatherapy' was coined in the 1920s.

2.) to coin a phrase

spoken said in a joking way when you use a very common expression, to show that you know it is used a lot

▪ He'd thought the flight would never -- to coin a phrase -- get off the ground.

3.) coin money/coin it (in)

BrE informal to earn a lot of money very quickly

▪ BT at its profitable peak was coining it at the rate of £90 a second.

4.) to make pieces of money from metal