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bank note

bank note

5 1.7
Paper money issued by a central bank used to pay for things
  • noun
  • /bæŋk noʊt/
translation icon : billete
  • It is a bank note for £500.

Well, it's a drawing of a bank note and it's based on this.

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Examples

  • Bank notes of that denomination aren't readily negotiable.

  • What did it say on your old English bank notes?

  • Over the next 20 years, this central bank issued bank notes against the nation's gold coins.

  • I put bank notes for $300 inside this envelope.

  • Bank notes, U.S. notes, and all other forms of money had to conform to this standard.

  • That is a bank note for £500.

  • In an old jacket, carefully tied and firmly nailed down to the manger, there are five hundred pounds more in bank notes and gold.

    Academic text (2000)
  • There are thirty-two examples of bank notes from 1854 to 1864, providing an excellent example of what the currency was like in Georgia during this period.

    Academic text (2009)
  • She received several bank notes from the ATM to pay for her groceries.

  • The store only accepts bank notes as payment for purchases over $20.

Synonyms

bill
vsbank note
  • US
295 1.5

Money made of paper that people use to pay for things

is more specific about issuance by the central authority rather than any paper money
note
vsbank note
  • UK
173 1.5

A paper bill used as money or a written promise to pay money

is restricted to official paper money issued by a central authority
paper money
vsbank note
16 1.6

Money made of printed paper notes that a government uses

emphasizes central authority issuance and legal tender status rather than form
greenback
vsbank note
  • US
15 5.2

A paper U.S. dollar bill used as money

is a neutral official term rather than an informal national nickname
banknote
vsbank note
7 3.0

A paper form of money that people use to pay for things

is the same meaning but written as a single word
paper currency
vsbank note
3 2.5

Money in printed notes that people use instead of coins

focuses on central authority issuance and legal tender role rather than substitution
Federal Reserve note
vsbank note
  • US
2 5.1

Paper money the United States Federal Reserve issues for buying things

is the general central authority issue term, not country specific
government note
vsbank note
3.7

Paper money issued by a country's central bank used to buy things

is used more broadly for authority issued legal tender not stressing government label
bank bill
vsbank note
3.2

A piece of paper money issued by a central bank used to pay for things

is a general legal tender term focusing on issuance by the central authority
banker's bill
vsbank note
7.2

A piece of paper used as money and issued by a central bank

focuses on modern central authority issuance and current legal tender use

Surface Forms

bank note singular
bank notes plural

Morphology

bank + note

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'bank' (a financial institution) with 'note' (a paper currency or financial promise): together they denote a paper money issued by a bank. This noun–noun compositional pattern is common across languages and follows straightforward semantic logic, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.

Etymology

The noun bank note comes from a simple idea: a bank used to give a written note that promised to 'pay' the person who had it some coins. Over time these notes became the 'paper money' we use, so bank note now means a piece of paper used as money.