English Explanatory Dictionary

short bit

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The monetary amount of ten cents.

Word forms

short bit short bits

Etymology

With the adoption of decimal US currency in 1794, there was no longer a US coin worth one eighth of a dollar, but two bits retained the meaning of one quarter dollar. Because there was no one-bit coin, a dime (10¢) was sometimes called a short bit and 15¢ a long bit.

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