greenback

Meanings

noungreenback (plural greenbacks)

USAny bill that is legal tender in the US (originally printed with green and black ink) issued by the Federal Reserve.
The United States dollar.
historicalA unit of American currency issued during the Civil War by the Treasury Department.
hobbiesA wave that has not yet begun to break.
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, […]
1965, John Bloomfield, Know-how in the Surf, page 28

nouna piece of paper money (especially one issued by a central bank)

Broader

Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry

APA

greenback. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greenback

MLA

“greenback.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greenback. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “greenback,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/greenback.