noun
Hamilton
HA-mihl-tuhn
noun
1
A common surname of Scottish origin, also used as a male given name; also the name of several cities and towns around the world, most famously in New Zealand, Ontario (Canada), and Bermuda.
"Her grandfather, Mr. Hamilton, moved to Hamilton, New Zealand as a young man."
2
Informal slang for a United States ten-dollar bill, from the portrait of Alexander Hamilton on it.
"He slipped the valet a hamilton and told him to keep the change."
How to Use Hamilton
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly a surname/place name; casually it can also mean a ten-dollar bill.
Common pairings
a Hamilton (ten-dollar bill)
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, New Zealand
Word Forms
Hamiltons plural, Hamiltons plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “Hamilton”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her grandfather, Mr. _____, moved to Hamilton, New Zealand as a young man.
Etymology
The surname comes from an Old English place name meaning roughly "flat-topped hill," originally a manor in Leicestershire. The many towns and cities called Hamilton around the world were mostly named after settlers or officials who carried the surname, including Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, whose face gives the ten-dollar bill its nickname.