coinage

/ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ/

Other forms: coinages

Coinage refers to metal money, or coins. A numismatist — that's the technical term for a coin collector — is interested in coinage. Coinage is also the process of coming up with a new word.

You probably wouldn't refer to the dimes jingling in your pocket as coinage, since this term tends to be used for coins in a more collective way, as in the coinage of foreign countries. Another way to use coinage is for the process of inventing (or coining) a new word. Shakespeare is famous for a lot of literary achievements, including his coinage of words like "lackluster," "bandit," and "bedazzled."

Definitions of coinage

1. noun

   coins collectively
   synonyms: metal money, mintage, specie

   types:

   coin

   a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money

   change

   coins of small denomination regarded collectively

   bawbee

   an old Scottish coin of little value

   bezant, bezzant, byzant, solidus

   a gold coin of the Byzantine Empire; widely circulated in Europe in the Middle Ages

   denier

   any of various former European coins of different denominations

   ducat

   formerly a gold coin of various European countries

   real

   an old small silver Spanish coin

   piece of eight

   an old silver Spanish coin; worth 8 reales

   shilling

   an English coin worth one twentieth of a pound

   crown

   an English coin worth 5 shillings

   half crown

   an English coin worth half a crown

   dime

   a United States coin worth one tenth of a dollar

   nickel

   a United States coin worth one twentieth of a dollar

   quarter

   a United States or Canadian coin worth one fourth of a dollar

   fifty-cent piece, half dollar

   a United States coin worth half of a dollar

   ha'penny, halfpenny

   an English coin worth half a penny

   cent, centime, penny

   a coin worth one-hundredth of the value of the basic unit

   slug

   a counterfeit coin

   tenpence

   a decimal coin worth ten pennies

   tuppence, twopence

   a former United Kingdom silver coin; United Kingdom bronze decimal coin worth two pennies

   threepence

   former cupronickel coin of the United Kingdom equal to three pennies

   fourpence, groat

   a former English silver coin worth four pennies

   fivepence

   a coin worth five cents

   sixpence, tanner

   a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970

   eightpence

   a coin worth eight pennies

   ninepence

   a coin worth nine pennies

   dollar

   a United States coin worth one dollar

   double eagle

   a former gold coin in the United States worth 20 dollars

   eagle

   a former gold coin in the United States worth 10 dollars

   half eagle

   a former gold coin in United States worth 5 dollars

   guinea

   a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings

   farthing

   a former British bronze coin worth a quarter of a penny

   doubloon

   a former Spanish gold coin

   louis d'or

   a former French gold coin

   medallion

   any of various large ancient Greek coins

   stater

   any of the various silver or gold coins of ancient Greece

   sou

   a former French coin of low denomination; often used of any small amount of money

   Maundy money

   specially minted silver coins that are distributed by the British sovereign on Maundy Thursday

   type of:

   currency

   the metal or paper medium of exchange that is presently used
2. noun

   the act of inventing a word or phrase
   synonyms: neologism, neology, neoterism

   type of:

   invention

   the act of inventing
3. noun

   a newly invented word or phrase
   synonyms: neologism, neology, neoterism

   types:

   blend, portmanteau, portmanteau word

   a new word formed by joining two others and combining their meanings

   type of:

   word

   a unit of language that native speakers can identify