cash
noun /kæʃ/
/kæʃ/
[uncountable]Idioms 
enlarge imagemoney in the form of coins or notes- How much cash do you have on you?
- Customers are offered a 10% discount if they pay cash.
- a cash payment
- in cash Payments can be made by card or in cash.
- The thieves stole £500 in cash.
Collocations FinanceFinanceIncomesee also cold cash, hard cash, petty cash- earn money/cash/(informal) a fortune/the minimum wage/a living wage
- make money/a fortune/(informal) a killing on the stock market
- acquire/inherit/amass wealth/a fortune
- build up funds/savings
- get/receive/leave (somebody) an inheritance/a legacy
- live on a low wage/a fixed income/a pension
- get/receive/draw/collect a pension
- depend/be dependent on (British English) benefits/(North American English) welfare/social security
- spend money/your savings/(informal) a fortune on…
- invest/put your savings in…
- throw away/waste/ (informal) shell out money on…
- lose your money/inheritance/pension
- use up/ (informal) wipe out all your savings
- pay (in) cash
- use/pay by a credit/debit/contactless card
- pay by/make out a/write somebody a/accept a (British English) cheque/(US English) check
- change/exchange money/currency
- give/pay/leave (somebody) a deposit
- have/hold/open/close/freeze a bank account/an account
- credit/debit/pay something into/take money out of your account
- deposit money/funds in your account
- withdraw money/cash/£30 from an ATM, etc.
- (formal) make a deposit/withdrawal
- find/go to/use (especially North American English) an ATM/(British English) a cash machine/dispenser
- be in credit/in debit/in the black/in the red/overdrawn
- use a mobile/an online banking app/platform/service
- manage/handle/plan/run/ (especially British English) sort out your finances
- plan/manage/work out/stick to a budget
- offer/extend credit (to somebody)
- arrange/take out a loan/an overdraft
- pay back/repay money/a loan/a debt
- pay for something in (especially British English) instalments/(North American English usually) installments
- get into debt/financial difficulties
- be short of/ (informal) be strapped for cash
- run out of/owe money
- face/get/ (informal) be landed with a bill for £…
- can’t afford the cost of…/payments/rent
- fall behind with/ (especially North American English) fall behind on the mortgage/repayments/rent
- incur/run up/accumulate debts
- tackle/reduce/settle your debts
Synonyms moneymoney- cash
- change
- money money in the form of coins or paper notes:
- I counted the money carefully.
- Where can I change my money into dollars?
- paper money (= money that is made of paper, not coins)
- cash money in the form of coins or paper notes:
- How much cash do you have on you?
- Payments can be made by cheque or in cash.
- change the money that you get back when you have paid for something giving more money than the amount it costs; coins rather than paper money:
- The ticket machine doesn’t give change.
- I don’t have any small change (= coins of low value).
- to draw out/get out/take out/withdraw money/cash
- ready money/cash (= money that you have available to spend immediately)
Extra ExamplesTopics Shoppinga2, Moneya2- I paid the bill in cash.
- The bank should hold enough cash to satisfy customer demand.
- We'll have to pay cash for the tickets.
- You can pay by cheque or in cash.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- cold
- hard
- ready
- …
- pay
- pay in
- hold
- …
- desk
- drawer
- dispenser
- …
- in cash
- cash in hand
- cash on delivery
- (informal) money in any form
- The museum needs to find ways of raising cash.
- I'm short of cash right now.
- I'm constantly strapped for cash (= without enough money).
- Local schools have been starved of cash for a number of years.
- The company is desperate for an injection of cash to ease its debts.
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb1- The company is strapped for cash.
- She refused to part with her hard-earned cash.
- a chance to make some quick cash
- They had a football match to raise cash for the hospital.
- Imagine having to pay some of my hard-earned cash on a parking fine!
- I refuse to spend my hard-earned cash on presents!
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- ready
- spare
- quick
- …
- generate
- raise
- be short of
- …
- holdings
- reserves
- resources
- …
Word Originlate 16th cent. (denoting a box for money): from Old French casse or Italian cassa ‘box’, from Latin capsa, related to capere ‘to hold’.
Idioms
cash down (British English)
(also cash up front North American English, British English)
- with immediate payment of cash
- to pay for something cash down
cash in hand
- (British English, informal) if you pay for goods and services cash in hand, you pay in cash, especially so that the person being paid can avoid paying tax on the amount
- a cash-in-hand payment of £20
cash on delivery
- (abbreviation COD)a system of paying for goods when they are delivered