twenty-dollar
|twen/ty/dol/lar|
🇺🇸
/ˌtwɛntiˈdɑlər/
🇬🇧
/ˌtwɛntiˈdɒlə/
worth 20 dollars
Etymology
'twenty-dollar' originates from English, specifically a compound of the numeral 'twenty' and the currency unit 'dollar'. 'twenty' ultimately comes from Old English 'twentig' meaning 'twenty', and 'dollar' comes via Early Modern English from Dutch/Low German 'daler' (from 'Joachimsthaler').
'twenty' changed from Old English 'twentig' into Middle English 'twentie' and then modern English 'twenty'; 'dollar' evolved from German/Bohemian 'Joachimsthaler' → Low German/Dutch 'daler'/'dollar' and into modern English 'dollar', and the compound formed in modern English as 'twenty-dollar'.
Initially the parts meant the numeral '20' and the specific coin/unit 'dollar'; when combined they came to denote something worth '20 dollars' (a denomination or price), a meaning that has remained stable in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a banknote or coin worth twenty dollars; (colloquially) a twenty-dollar bill.
He paid with a twenty-dollar.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
costing, valued at, or denominated in twenty dollars (used before a noun).
I bought a twenty-dollar item at the market.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/18 15:36