mint
/mɪnt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
- 1.
a plant with a fresh smell and taste, often used in food, tea, and sweets.
- I added mint to the tea.
- This chutney tastes like mint.
- She grows mint in a pot.
- 2.
a place where coins are made for a country.
- The old mint is a museum now.
- Coins are made at the mint.
- He works at the royal mint.
adjective
very good, excellent, or in perfect condition. This use is informal.
- Your bike is in mint condition.
- That jacket is mint.
- We found a mint copy of the game.
Adinary Nuance
Mint is close to words like fresh, peppermint, and spearmint, but it is broader than those. It names the herb itself, while peppermint and spearmint are specific kinds of mint. The adjective use, meaning “excellent” or “like new,” is informal and sounds modern in spoken English.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bạc hà
- Spanish
- menta
- Chinese
- 薄荷
- Japanese
- ミント
- Korean
- 민트
Etymology
Mint comes from Old English mynte, from Latin mentha and Greek minthē. The word for a place that makes coins came from Old French mint and later English use.
Common phrases
mint teamint conditionmint saucea mint plant
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is mint the same as peppermint?
- No. Peppermint is one type of mint with a stronger flavour.
- Can I say a car is mint?
- Yes, in informal English, it means the car looks almost new.
- Is mint common in business writing?
- The plant and coin meanings are common. The slang adjective is not usually formal.