An archaic or obsolete form of the plural of 'disme,' referring to a tithe or one-tenth tax/payment, especially a religious payment.
From Old French disme (modern French dîme), from Latin decima (tenth); the word entered English medieval vocabulary through ecclesiastical use, as 'disme' originally meant a tax of one-tenth paid to the Church.
The word 'disme' evolved into modern 'dime'—so your American coin is literally named after a tithe! Medieval French speakers couldn't imagine their tenth-part tax would eventually become a small silver coin in a country that didn't exist yet.
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