The term **收银** (shōuyín) is a compound word formed by combining two characters: **收** (shōu), meaning "to collect" or "to receive," and **银** (yín), which literally means "silver" but historically served as a metonym for "money" (as silver was a primary currency in ancient China). Together, they literally mean "to collect money," specifically referring to the act of handling cash transactions. Over time, it has become the standard term for the function and place of a cashier or checkout counter, with **收银员** (shōuyínyuán) meaning "cashier" and **收银台** (shōuyíntái) meaning "cash register" or "checkout desk."