Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

greenback

/ɡɹˈinbˌæk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.57 in modern English

Syllables: green-back
IPA: /ɡɹˈinbˌæk/

18

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any bill that is legal tender in the US (originally printed with green and black ink) issued by the Federal Reserve.

American usage

noun

The United States dollar.

noun

A unit of American currency issued during the Civil War by the Treasury Department.

noun

A wave that has not yet begun to break.

Example Sentences

"When the surfer has passed the point where the waves are breaking, and is among the waves which are known as “greenbacks”, he may either dive through them or float over them, […]"

Etymology

From green + back.

Usage

American usage

Inflected Forms

greenbacks (plural)

Derived Forms

Greenbacker greenbackism greenmail greenmailing

Phrases

green-backed Greenback Party

Synonyms

bill note government note bank bill banker's bill bank note banknote federal reserve note

Questions

How do you pronounce greenback?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɡɹˈinbˌæk/.
What does greenback mean?: Any bill that is legal tender in the US (originally printed with green and black ink) issued by the Federal Reserve.
Where does greenback come from?: From green + back.

How to pronounce greenback

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “greenback”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɡɹˈinbˌæk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “greenback”.
Repeat and practice — Say “greenback” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.