drachmai

Variant of drachma

drachma definition

drachma (drak′mə)

noun pl. drachmas -·mas, drachmae -·mae (-mē), drachmai -·mai (-mī′)

  1. an ancient Greek silver coin
  2. an ancient Greek unit of weight approximately equal to the weight of this coin
  3. any of several modern weights or measures
  4. the former basic monetary unit of modern Greece, superseded in 2002 by the euro

Etymology: L < Gr drachmē, lit., a handful < drassesthai, to grasp, take by handfuls < IE base *dergh-, to grip > targe

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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