Making coins by stamping metal; also means inventing a new word or phrase for the first time.
From Old French coin (wedge, corner), from Latin cuneus. Originally meant using a wedge-shaped die to stamp metal. Extended metaphorically to 'inventing words' because both create something new.
When you invent a phrase like 'selfie' or 'ghosting,' you're technically 'coining' it—and just like minting coins, if everyone accepts it, it becomes valuable currency in language. Shakespeare literally coined hundreds of words we still use today!
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