Mints

/mɪnts/ noun

Definition

Small candies flavored with mint that have a cool, fresh taste, or places where money is officially made.

Etymology

From Old English 'mynet' and Latin 'moneta,' both meaning coin or money. The candy meaning developed later because mint plants were used to flavor sweets. The dual meaning shows how the same word traveled through different uses.

Kelly Says

It's wild that 'mint' can mean both the government factory that stamps your money AND the candy in your pocket—it's one of those words where the original meaning (a money factory, from the goddess Moneta) completely shifted as mints became famous for flavoring candy.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.