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greenback

greenback

15 5.2
A paper U.S. dollar bill used as money
  • noun
  • /ˈɡriːnˌbæk/
  • US
translation icon : billete de dólar
  • In spite of the handfuls of greenbacks he was taking out of the drawer, every dollar felt important.
  • greenback dollar
  • pile of greenbacks
  • value of greenbacks

Like the the greenbacks draining from my pocket when the AC comes on.

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Examples

  • Do you have any greenbacks?

  • Do you have any greenbacks for the tickets to the concert?

  • Everybody knows what a greenback is across the globe.

  • And yet, the greenback is still with us, and it is still the reserve currency.

    Blog text (4)
  • And would his greenbacks be valid currency?

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Meister looked at him a moment, then reached in his pocket and pulled three big greenbacks off a roll and handed them to Willie.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • That'll be eight dollars in greenbacks, five in silver or a pinch of dust.

  • Now, if New York wins the finals is it true that you'll be donating a million greenbacks to charity?

  • Civil War greenbacks were slowly withdrawn from circulation (and were redeemed in gold beginning in 1879).

    Academic text (2012)
  • The satchel full of bound bundles of greenbacks was now locked in the safe in his office.

Synonyms

dollar
vsgreenback
589 1.0

A piece of paper money or a coin worth 100 cents

is the informal name for the unit's physical paper form
bill
vsgreenback
  • US
295 1.5

Money made of paper that people use to pay for things

is the informal American term for that printed money
note
vsgreenback
  • UK
173 1.5

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

is the informal US term focusing on its money sense
dollar bill
vsgreenback
  • US
72 1.0

A piece of paper money worth one US dollar

is the informal American name for US paper money generally
banknote
vsgreenback
7 3.0

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

is the informal US label for that central bank paper
bank note
vsgreenback
5 1.7

Paper money issued by a central bank used to pay for things

is the informal American label for that central bank paper
paper currency
vsgreenback
3 2.5

Money in printed notes that people use instead of coins

is the informal American term for that printed money form
Federal Reserve note
vsgreenback
  • US
2 5.1

Paper money the United States Federal Reserve issues for buying things

is the informal American name for that US paper currency
United States dollar
vsgreenback
1 1.0

The unit of money used in the United States, equal to 100 cents

is the informal name for its physical paper form
bank bill
vsgreenback
3.2

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

is the informal American name for that transaction medium
government note
vsgreenback
3.7

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

is the informal everyday name for such government paper money
banker's bill
vsgreenback
7.2

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

is the modern casual American name for similar paper money

Compounds

An American political party in the late 1800s that wanted more paper money

Surface Forms

greenback singular
greenbacks plural

Morphology

greenback = green + back (semi-transparent) = green + back

Formed from 'green' + 'back' referring to the coloured back of paper notes; the components are clear but the specialised meaning 'U.S. paper money' is conventionalized.

Etymology

The word greenback comes from the green color on the back of early U.S. paper money, when people saw the green 'back' and started to call the note a greenback. So greenback now means a U.S. dollar bill.