nickel
gb/nˈɪkəl/ us/nˈɪkəl/
A2
English
~ 8800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
five-cent coin
A small coin that has the value of five cents in the US or Canada.
Usage pattern:
[someone] gives [someone] a nickel
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the coin with the metal and say things like *"I paid with nickel"* instead of *"I paid with a nickel."* Always use an article when you mean the coin: *a nickel*, *two nickels*.
Synonyms
five-cent coin (More descriptive; clearly states the value but is less commonly used as a fixed term.)
|
coin (More general; does not specify the value.)
Antonyms
dollar bill (A much higher-value paper unit of money, often mentally contrasted with coins like nickels.)
Collocations
a nickel
|nickels and dimes
|costs a nickel
|spare nickels
|roll of nickels
|drop a nickel in
Themes
money
|daily life
|shopping
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I don't have a nickel for the parking meter.
- She handed the cashier a nickel and three pennies.
- When my grandfather was young, a soda cost only a nickel.
- He dropped a nickel into the charity jar by the register.
- The machine only takes quarters and nickels.
Learner examples
- I found a nickel on the street.
- Do you have a nickel for the bus?
- This candy costs one nickel.
- He put three nickels in the box.
- She paid with one dime and one nickel.
Noun
technical
B1
entity
2
metallic chemical element Ni
A hard, silver-colored metal (chemical symbol Ni) that is often mixed with other metals or used to cover them.
Usage pattern:
[something] contains nickel
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that the everyday coin and the chemical element share the same word. In science and engineering texts, *nickel* almost always means the metal, not the coin.
Synonyms
metal (Very general; does not specify which metal.)
|
Ni (Chemical symbol used in scientific writing rather than in everyday language.)
Antonyms
nonmetal (Refers to elements that lack metallic properties, the broad opposite class in chemistry.)
Collocations
nickel alloy
|nickel mine
|nickel content
|nickel metal
|nickel deposit
|refined nickel
Themes
science
|industry
|technology
Examples
- Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium, and nickel.
- Some people develop skin irritation when they wear jewelry that contains nickel.
- The country is investing heavily in its nickel mining industry.
- These batteries use nickel and cadmium as their main active materials.
- Researchers are studying how nickel behaves under extreme temperatures.
Learner examples
- This ring has nickel in it.
- He works at a nickel mine.
- Some people are allergic to nickel.
- Nickel is used to make strong metal parts.
- The battery has nickel and other metals inside.
Noun
B1
quantity
3
five-cent amount of money
The value of five cents in money.
Usage pattern:
[something] costs a nickel
Common mistake:
Learners often do not separate the idea of the coin from the value. In sentences like *"He wouldn't pay a nickel more,"* *nickel* refers to the amount of money, not the actual coin.
Synonyms
five cents (More explicit about the value; does not suggest a physical coin.)
Antonyms
a dollar (Contrasts a very small amount of money with a larger, common unit.)
Collocations
costs a nickel
|worth a nickel
|for a nickel
|every nickel
|save every nickel
Themes
money
|shopping
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It used to cost a nickel to ride the bus.
- He said he wouldn't pay a nickel more than the asking price.
- They saved every nickel they earned to buy a house.
- Back then, you could get a cup of coffee for a nickel.
- She wouldn’t give a nickel to support that project.
Learner examples
- The old movie ticket was only a nickel.
- My grandfather says bread was a nickel when he was young.
- He does not want to spend one more nickel.
- She saves every nickel she gets.
- This toy costs less than a nickel.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
4
American football defense with five backs
In American football, a special defense with five players in the back to stop passing plays.
Usage pattern:
[team] lines up in a nickel
Common mistake:
Learners may think *nickel* here still refers to money. In sports news, if you read about *playing in the nickel* or *the nickel corner*, it is about a football position or formation, not coins.
Synonyms
nickel defense (Full term; more explicit than just saying *nickel* by itself.)
|
nickel package (Very close in meaning but emphasizes the group of players used rather than the formation itself.)
Antonyms
base defense (Refers to a team's standard defensive formation with fewer defensive backs, often contrasted with nickel packages.)
Collocations
nickel defense
|nickel package
|nickel cornerback
|play in the nickel
|go to a nickel look
Themes
sports
Examples
- The coach switched to a nickel defense on third down.
- They brought in an extra cornerback to play in the nickel.
- Against pass-heavy teams, the Jaguars spend most snaps in a nickel package.
- The rookie earned playing time as the nickel corner.
- Their nickel struggled to stop short passes over the middle.
Learner examples
- The team uses a nickel on passing plays.
- He is the nickel corner on the football team.
- They change to a nickel when it is third down and long.
- The coach likes to play in a nickel defense.
- In a nickel, there are five players in the back.
Verb
technical
C1
action
5
to coat something with nickel
To put a thin layer of the metal nickel on something, usually to protect it or make it shiny.
Usage pattern:
[someone] nickels [something]
Common mistake:
This technical verb is rare in everyday language. Learners are more likely to see the past participle in forms like *nickel-plated*. Do not confuse the verb *to nickel* with the noun for the coin.
Synonyms
plate (General term for coating a metal surface; does not specify nickel.)
|
electroplate (More specifically refers to the electrical process used to deposit metal coatings.)
Antonyms
strip (Means to remove a coating such as nickel from a surface.)
Collocations
nickel the surface
|nickel a part
|nickeled finish
|nickel-plated components
|nickel and chrome plate
Themes
industry
|technology
Examples
- They decided to nickel the steel parts to prevent corrosion.
- The company nickels and then chromes the faucets for a high-gloss finish.
- Before you nickel the piece, make sure the surface is completely clean.
- This shop can nickel small components in large batches.
- We had the old handles nickeled to match the new fixtures.
Learner examples
- The factory will nickel these metal parts.
- They nickel the tools so they do not rust.
- The company nickels and then paints the product.
- We need to nickel the surface before we use it.
- He works at a shop that nickels car parts.
Noun
slang
C1
quantity
6
slang for a group of five
Slang: five of something, especially five years in prison or five dollars in money.
Usage pattern:
[someone] does a nickel
Common mistake:
Learners may think *nickel* always means a coin. In crime or prison slang like *do a nickel*, it means five years in prison, not money.
Synonyms
five spot (Slang for a five-dollar bill; overlaps when *nickel* refers to five dollars.)
Antonyms
dime (In some slang uses, *dime* refers to ten units (such as ten years or ten dollars), contrasting with *nickel* as five.)
Collocations
do a nickel
|serve a nickel
|a nickel bag
|a nickel rock
|a nickel on the dollar
Themes
slang
|crime
|money
|law
|finance
Examples
- He ended up doing a nickel for that robbery.
- They gave him a nickel for the drugs they found on him.
- Back then you could get a nickel bag on every corner.
- She was facing a nickel if she violated her probation.
- He bragged about surviving a hard nickel upstate.
Learner examples
- In this movie, the man does a nickel in prison.
- He says he spent a nickel behind bars.
- The song talks about a nickel bag of drugs.
- In slang, a nickel can mean five years in prison.
- They gave him a nickel for the crime.
Grammar
Dictionary form
nickel
IPA
GB/nˈɪkəl/
US/nˈɪkəl/
Syllables & stress
nick - el (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (nick)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: nickel
- Plural: nickel, nickels
Verb
- Base: nickel
- 3rd Person Singular: nickels
- Present Participle: nickeling, nickelling
- Past: nickeled, nickelled
Word family
Forms
nickels
noun
nickeling
verb
nickelling
verb
nickeled
verb
nickelled
verb
Expressions
nickel and dime
1/nˈɪkəl ˈænd dˈaɪm/
idiom
informal
to charge many small fees
To take or charge many small amounts of money that together feel unfair or annoying.
Examples
- The airline will nickel and dime you for every little service.
- Customers are tired of being nickeled and dimed with hidden fees.
- I chose a different bank because the first one kept trying to nickel and dime me.
nickel-and-dime
1/nˈɪkəl ˈænd dˈaɪm/
idiom
informal
involving small, unimportant amounts
Used before a noun to describe something that involves very small or unimportant amounts of money, often in an annoying way.
Examples
- They keep hitting us with these nickel-and-dime charges.
- She was sick of all the nickel-and-dime fees on her phone bill.
- We need to focus on big savings, not nickel-and-dime cuts.
not worth a plug nickel
1/nˈɑt wˈɚθ ə plˈʌɡ nˈɪkəl/
idiom
informal
to have almost no value
To be almost worthless; to have almost no value or use.
Examples
- That old laptop isn’t worth a plug nickel.
- His advice isn’t worth a plug nickel these days.
- Without the main star, the show would be not worth a plug nickel.
spend a nickel
1/spˈɛnd ə nˈɪkəl/
idiom
informal
euphemism for urinating
A humorous or old-fashioned way to say you are going to the toilet to urinate.
Examples
- I’ll be right back, I’ve got to go spend a nickel.
- He excused himself from the table to spend a nickel.
- Grandpa joked that he needed to spend a nickel before the movie started.