pocket change
8
2.5
- noun
- /ˈpɑkɪt ʧeɪndʒ/
:
monedas sueltas
- He usually carries pocket change to buy coffee when he needs a quick pick-me-up.
- earn pocket change
- dollars is hardly pocket change
- buy us for pocket change
Examples
-
Foxconn makes its profit, and the Chinese workers make some pocket change as well.
Blog text (19) -
She earned pocket change foraging for crawfish and selling them as bait.
-
Oh, I just gave him some pocket change.
-
We're here to pick up pocket change.
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A little pocket change worth five million dollars in my pocket.
-
With that kind of pocket change, my friends, you can buy yourselves a nice new house in town.
-
The money came from Daddy, who always left pocket change scattered on the bureau.
Fiction book (1997) -
While collecting signatures for the petition, you can ask signers for their spare pocket change.
Academic text (2009) -
I found a few coins in my bag; it's just some pocket change that I can use for the bus.
-
When I checked my wallet, I only had pocket change left for the snack machine.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Money in the form of coins and bills
382
1.0
Small coins or the money you get back after paying
14
1.0
Small coins or money you do not need and carry with you
10
2.3
A small amount of money in coins that is not worth much
8
8.2
A very small amount of money that hardly matters next to bigger costs
8
3.1
Small coins people keep in pockets or jars
5
9.9
A British coin from the past worth a quarter of a penny, also meaning a very small amount
5
9.9
An old British coin worth two pennies or a very small amount of money
2
8.1
A very small, unimportant amount
1
9.9
A small old coin from the Netherlands worth very little money
1
6.1
A small amount of money kept for personal expenses
A very small amount of money or a small favor given as a token
A very small amount of money or something of little value
Antonyms
How Much
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a small amount of money carried' is directly and literally built from 'pocket' (a place on clothing for small items) + 'change' (coins/loose money). This compositional, concrete relation is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun pocket change comes from the simple picture of loose coins kept in a pocket for small buys. Because change means coins people use for little costs, the phrase now means 'a small amount of money' you carry for small things like a snack or a bus fare.