Glossary
bank
a place of business where people store, borrow and exchange money.
barter
the trading of goods or services without the use of money.
bill
a single unit of paper money, also called a note.
blank
the circular piece of metal from which a coin is stamped.
budget
a plan for using money. A budget shows how much money a person will have
and the ways it will be spent.
check
a written order directing a bank to pay a certain amount of money. The
money comes from the account of the person who signs the check and goes
to the person named on the check.
checking account
a system that allows a person who has deposited money in a bank to get
money or give money to another person without handling it.
circulate
to move around from person to person.
Civil War
the war between the northern and southern states of the United States between
1861 and 1865.
coin
a piece of metal used as money. A coin is stamped with official government
markings to show how much it is worth.
counterfeit
a copy or imitation made in order to cheat or fool someone.
credit card
a card from a bank or a store that gives a customer the right to buy things
and pay for them later.
currency
the money used in a country.
debt
something that is owed to another.
denomination
one kind of unit in a system.
deposit
to put money or valuable things in a bank or other safe place.
depression
a time when business is slow and people are out of work.
dollar
a unit of money in the United States and in Canada. A dollar is worth one
hundred cents.
economy
the careful use of money and other things to reduce waste.
employee
a person who works for some person or business for pay.
employer
a person or business that pays a person or group to work.
Federal Reserve Bank
a banker's bank. It regulates banking banking practices and supervises
other banks, issues new currency and destroys old paper money. Also serves
as a clearinghouse for checks.
income
money received for work or from property or other things that are owned.
income tax
a tax on a person's income.
inflation
A rise in the usual prices of goods and services.
interest
money that is paid for the use of borrowed or deposited money. When a person
keeps money in a bank, the bank pays the person a certain amount of interest.
invest
to put money into a business, real estate, stocks, collectibles or a bank
account that is intended to increase in value. Good investments earn interest
and/or can be sold at a profit.
loan
the act of lending something.
mint
a place where metal is made into coins, usually under government authority.
mint mark
a letter stamped on a coin that identifies the mint where it was made.
note
a single unit of paper money, also called a bill.
numismatist
a coin collector, or someone who studies money.
money
the coins and paper currency of a country used to buy goods and pay people
for services.
motto
a short sentence or phrase that says what someone believes or what something
stands for.
profit
the amount of money left after all the costs of running a business have
been paid.
Revolutionary War
the war the American colonists fought to become more independent
from England.
savings account
money deposited in a bank.
uncirculated
a new coin that shows no sign of wear.
wampum
small, polished, white beads made from shells and strung together, used
by the Native American Indians for money.