noun
Uncommon
cashier
kuh-SHEER
Cashier (noun) means someone who handles payments at a till, shop, or bank. Example: “The cashier scanned each item and bagged the groceries.”
noun
1
Someone who handles payments at a till, shop, or bank.
"The chefs never cooked before, the cashiers never cashiered before, the dishwashers never dishwashed before, the waitresses never waitressed before, and the managers never managed before."
— Thomas Quealy, M + M (2007)
"The cashier scanned each item and bagged the groceries."
verb
1
To formally dismiss someone, especially a military officer, from their position in disgrace.
"The Directory had been deregulating the economy since Thermidor; but it had not cashiered the police spies on which the Terror had depended, and these allowed the government to keep abreast of the threat."
— Colin Jones, The Great Nation (2002)
"Inevitably his appeals for financial assistance were ignored and, though not cashiered from the army, he was pointedly cold-shouldered by his brother officers."
— Jonathan Keates, Mon Père, ce héros (2012)
"The general was cashiered after the scandal broke."
How to use cashier
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the person who takes your money at a till, or (as a verb) to dishonourably discharge someone.
Common mistake
The "dismiss in disgrace" sense is formal/military and quite different from the everyday "shop till" sense — context makes clear which is meant.
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Word forms
- Plural
- cashiers
- Third person singular
- cashiers
- Past tense
- cashiered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ scanned each item and bagged the groceries.
Etymology
From Dutch casseren, ultimately from Old French casser ("to break up") — historically an officer's sword was ceremonially broken when he was cashiered.
Synonyms
View more →
teller
checkout operator
Related words
Rhymes for cashier
See all rhymes for cashier →Frequently asked questions
What does “cashier” mean?
The word “cashier” means someone who handles payments at a till, shop, or bank. In plain terms, either the person who takes your money at a till, or (as a verb) to dishonourably discharge someone.
How do you pronounce “cashier”?
“Cashier” is pronounced kuh-SHEER (/kəˈʃɪə/ in IPA).
How do you use “cashier” in a sentence?
Here is “cashier” used in a sentence: “The cashier scanned each item and bagged the groceries.”
What part of speech is “cashier”?
Depending on how it is used, “cashier” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “cashier” come from?
The word “cashier” comes from Old French. From Dutch casseren, ultimately from Old French casser ("to break up") — historically an officer's sword was ceremonially broken when he was cashiered.
Is “cashier” a common word?
“Cashier” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “cashier” have?
“Cashier” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: someone who handles payments at a till, shop, or bank.
What is the difference between cashier as a noun and cashier as a verb?
As a noun, a cashier is someone who handles payments at a till, shop, or bank. As a verb, to cashier means to formally dismiss someone, especially a military officer, from their position in disgrace, so the two uses are unrelated in meaning despite sharing the same spelling.
Is cashiered used only for military dismissals?
The verb cashier is most strongly associated with formally dismissing a military officer in disgrace, though it can be extended to other formal or disgraceful dismissals from a position.
Is cashier a formal or informal job title?
Cashier as a job title is neutral and widely used in everyday retail and banking contexts, while the verb sense meaning to dismiss in disgrace has a more formal, serious tone.
