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ready money

ready money

3.7
Cash you keep for immediate use
  • noun
translation icon : dinero en efectivo
  • I always keep some ready money in my wallet for emergencies.

Examples

  • Ready money enabled Haydon and others like him to act as property agents, buying and selling monastic lands.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Except that the dead man came from St. Louis and was in desperate need of ready money, little was known about him.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • It will be a ready money transaction.

  • The sailor took a significant cut in his take-home pay, but he obtained ready money faster.

    Academic text (2007)
  • To you, my dear Tom, I have given an estate of £800 a year, together with £1,000 in ready money.

  • He preferred to make a deal in ready money rather than through a bank transfer.

  • Having ready money made it easy for her to pay for the car repairs immediately.

Synonyms

money
vsready money
1.0

Coins, bills, or bank savings people use to buy things and pay for services

is specifically about physical currency ready for immediate use
funds
vsready money
5 1.0

Money available to spend for a specific purpose

is about immediate physical currency on hand rather than earmarked resources
moola
vsready money
  • Slang
5 9.9

Money you can hold, like bills or coins

emphasizes immediate physical availability rather than playful slang
cash in hand
vsready money
3 3.4

Money you can use immediately

focuses on immediate physical currency availability
cold cash
vsready money
3 3.9

Money in notes and coins that you can use right away

emphasizes general immediate availability not payment context
ready cash
vsready money
2 2.7

Money in cash that you can use immediately

is the same idea but uses a different common wording
boodle
vsready money
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A large amount of cash kept for spending

is focused on everyday immediate currency rather than large sums idea
1 4.5

Extra cash you can spend

is about immediate physical currency specifically, not general spending ability
mazuma
vsready money
  • Archaic
1 9.9

An informal word for money

has neutral description focusing on immediate availability rather than slang
wonga
vsready money
  • Slang
9.9

Informal British word for money, especially cash

is neutral and formal in tone, not informal slang

How Available

ready money
3.7
cash in hand
3 3.4
petty cash
11 3.2
savings
606 1.0
investment
3.2

Surface Forms

ready money singular
ready moneys plural

Morphology

ready + money

The meaning 'money available for immediate use' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'ready' (available immediately) with 'money' (currency). This compositional pattern is common in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Ready money comes from the image of having ready coins or notes in your hand or purse, money you can take out right away. That's why it means 'cash' or 'money you can use right away'.