verb
1. spend money frugally; spend as little as possible
• Syn: ↑penny-pinch
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s
2. accumulate gradually
-
she nickeled-and-dimed together a small house for her family
• Verb Frames:
-
Somebody ——s something
adjective
1. of minor importance
-
a nickel-and-dime operation run out of a single rented room
-
a small-time actor
• Syn: ↑small-time
• Similar to: ↑unimportant
2. low-paying
-
a nickel-and-dime job
• Similar to: ↑cheap, ↑inexpensive
* * *
involving only a small amount of money; not important
•
a nickel-and-dime job
Word Origin:
1930s: originally denoting a shop selling articles costing five or ten cents.
to spend or save very small amounts of money; to charge small amounts of money for lots of extra items
•
Set the money aside so you don't nickel-and-dime it away.
•
She's careful not to nickel-and-dime clients for extra charges.
•
We decided to go ahead even if we have to nickel-and-dime it.
Word Origin:
[nickel-and-dime] 1930s: originally denoting a shop selling articles costing five or ten cents.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.