Found 2 items, similar to dime novel.
English → English (WordNet) Definition: dime novel dime novel n : a melodramatic paperback novel [syn: penny dreadful]
English → English (gcide) Definition: Dime novel Dime \Dime\ (d[imac]m), n. [F. d[^i]me tithe, OF. disme, fr. L. decimus the tenth, fr. decem ten. See Decimal.] A silver coin of the United States, of the value of ten cents; the tenth of a dollar. [1913 Webster] Dime novel, a novel, commonly sensational and trashy, which is sold for a dime, or ten cents; -- they were popular from ca. 1850 to ca. 1920. Sometimes the term is still applied to any novel of the type, though the price has greatly increased. [1913 Webster +PJC]