penny
penny definition
penny (pen′ē)
noun pl. pennies -·nies
- in the United Kingdom and certain other countries,
- a monetary unit equal to of a poundin full new penny: abbrev. p
- before 1971, a monetary unit equal to of a shilling: abbrev. d
- a coin worth one penny
- a monetary unit equal to of a pound
- ☆ a U.S. or Canadian cent
- any of several other low-value coins, as a denarius
- a sum of money: now chiefly in the following phrases
Etymology: ME peny < OE penig, pening, akin to Ger pfennig: < ? early WGmc borrowing < L pannus, cloth: see pawn
penny Idioms
a pretty penny
Informal a large sum of money
turn an honest penny
to earn money fairly and honestly
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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