penny en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /-ni/ (Scotland)
- /ˈpeni/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- [ˈpeni] ~ [ˈpe̞ni] (Australia)
- (General-American) audio
- /ˈpɪni/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
- /ˈpɛne/ (Scotland)
- /-nɪ/ (Scotland)
- [ˈpe̝ni] ~ [ˈpɪni] (New-Zealand)
- /pəni/ In compounds like twopenny, dated
- /ˈpɛni/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Pre-Greekder.? Ancient Greek πᾰτᾰ́νη (pătắnē)bor. Latin patina Latin panna? Latin pannus? Proto-Indo-European *-n̥kʷo-der.? Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Germanic *-īnaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz ? Proto-Germanic *-ingaz Proto-Germanic *panningaz Proto-West Germanic *panning Old English peniġ Middle English peny English penny From Middle English peny, from Old English peniġ, penniġ, penning (“penny”), from Proto-West Germanic *panning, from Proto-Germanic *panningaz, of uncertain origin (see that page for theories). Doublet of pfennig and fening.
Meanings
-
(historical) In the United Kingdom and Ireland and many other countries, a unit of currency worth ¹⁄₂₄₀ of a pound sterling or Irish pound before decimalisation, or a copper coin worth this amount. Abbreviation: d.
We had not proceeded very far across the south cantilever when we saw a penny lying beside the track, and another a short distance further on. We were to find several more pennies, and some half-pennies, before we reached the north shore. Inspector Bell explained that many passengers try to throw a coin into the Forth, for "good luck," while trains are crossing the bridge.
1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 150:Thanks to that penny he had just spent so recklessly [on a newspaper] he would pass a happy hour, taken, for once, out of his anxious, despondent, miserable self. It irritated him shrewdly to know that these moments of respite from carking care would not be shared with his poor wife, with careworn, troubled Ellen.
1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0056:However he lost out, as other business interests whom he had alienated by his efforts to squeeze every penny of profit from the canal, supported the construction of the railway.
2025 June 25, Christian Wolmar, “How slow boats gradually gave way to rail”, in RAIL, number 1038, page 57:
- In the United Kingdom, a unit of currency worth ¹⁄₁₀₀ of a pound sterling, or a copper coin worth this amount. Abbreviation: p.
- (historical) In Ireland, a coin worth ¹⁄₁₀₀ of an Irish pound before the introduction of the euro. Abbreviation: p.
-
In the US and (formerly) Canada, a one-cent coin, worth ¹⁄₁₀₀ of a dollar. Abbreviation: ¢.
A Treasury spokesperson said the government made its final order of penny blanks this month, and the United States Mint will continue to manufacture pennies only as long as an inventory of penny blanks exists.
2025 May 22, Chris Isidore and Matt Egan, “The Treasury unveils its plan to kill the penny”, in CNN Business:Holy shit! A hundred and eleven pennies! At that point, that dog had more Lincoln in him than Mary Todd.
2015 November 22, “Pennies”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 3, episode 35, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
- In various countries, a small-denomination copper or brass coin.
- A unit of nail size, said to be either the cost per 100 nails, or the number of nails per penny. Abbreviation: d.
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Money in general.
What penny hath Rome borne, / What men provided, what munition sent?
c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:to turn an honest penny
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pennies | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| pens | Number=Plur | obsolete | lexicographic |
| peny | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| pence | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| pennie | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| penie | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
fourpenny nail · watch the pennies · twentypenny · push-penny · penny for one's thoughts · penny pincher · swarf-penny · threepenny · pennywort · fivepenny · penny bank · luck penny · sevenpenny · the penny drops · pretty penny · penny sterling · twelve-penny nail · ten penny nail · tenpenny · penny sweet · four penny nail · twopenny · eight-penny nail · six penny nail · penny-pinch · penny weed · penny-dreadfulish · sixteenpenny · dead man's penny · lickpenny · ten a penny · Rome-penny · hearth-penny · a pound to a penny · sixteen penny nail · a bad penny always turns up · pennyweight · penny-dreadfulism · red penny · penny whip · pennyworth · penny whistle · penny pusher · in for a penny, in for a pound · jam penny · penny-a-liner · pennywhistle · two a penny · the bad penny always turns up · penny for them · two ha'pennies for a penny · Peter's penny · thirtypenny · a penny saved is a penny gained · penny dog · third penny · pennywise · pennyland · water penny · pennycress · scrape-penny · fourteenpenny · death penny · penny-father · pickpenny · pitchpenny · penny-pinching · a bad penny always comes back · eighteenpenny · penny wisdom · penny bun · widow's penny · Kissi penny · penny farthing · penny-wise and pound-foolish · penny-wise · penniless · eightpenny nail · the bad penny always comes back · worth every penny · penny sleeve · penny gaffe · penny tray · penny auction · sixpenny · penny-pig · penny university · penny for your thoughts · penny SKU · fifteenpenny · twelvepenny · toffee penny · penny in the fusebox · penny arcade · eight penny nail · sixpenny nail · spear-penny · eightpenny · fourpenny · clean as a new penny · thirteenpenny · fair penny · tin penny · penny-wedding · penny loafer · penny packet · ninepenny · catchpenny · twalpenny · tenpenny nail · penny candy · penny mail · penny slot · penny wise and pound foolish · penny-pincher · penny-gaff · penny stock · spear penny · sixteen-penny nail · true-penny · bright as a new penny · penny dreadful · penny wedding · twelve penny nail · God's penny · fortypenny · a penny saved is a penny earned · turn an honest penny · megapenny · pinchpenny · penny chew · penny ante · penny post · wheat penny · penny fall · bad penny · penny-ante · penny grass · penny-grass · get-penny · six-penny nail · penny-farthing · pence · penny starver · penny-a-line · fine penny · Penny Black · four-penny nail · elevenpenny · penny press · penny gaff · penny-in-the-slot machine · ten-penny nail · spend a penny
Descendants
penny · penny · пе́нни · pene · péni · пе́ни · penny · penny · peni · เพนนี · penny · पेनी · pêni · pénîn · pänid · peni · ペニー · пени · पेनी · پەنى · 페니 · peni · Penny · פֶּנִי · penny
Relateds
Synonyms
old penny · 1⁄100 of a pound sterling (new penny (old-fashioned)) · cent (one-cent coin or its value)
Translations (65)
mk пе́ни (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · gd sgillinn (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · mk пе́ни (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · mi kapa (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · bg пени (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · luy litong'olo (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · mr पेनी (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ru пе́нни (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · cs cent (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ast penique (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · sw peni (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · mi pene (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · he פֶּנִי (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · af pennie (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · hi पेन्स (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · fr penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · lt pensas (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ru пенс (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · sv penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · hi पेनी (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · es penique (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · eo penco (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · bg пени (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ga pingineacha (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ms peni (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · cy ceiniog (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · mr पेनी (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · ug پەنس (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · vo pänid (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · ga pinginí (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ga pingin (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · cy ceiniog (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · nb penny (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · cs penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · fi penny (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · cmn 便士 (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · mr पेन्स (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · lt pensas (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · tr peni (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · pt pêni (B) (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · pl pens (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · pt péni (P) (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ms peni (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · fi penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · es penique (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · nl penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ru пе́нни (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · ug پەنى (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ko 페니 (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ru пенс (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · th เพนนี (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · de Penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ar بِنْس (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · fr penny (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · hu penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · pt pêni (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · ga pingin (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · nb penny (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · pl pens (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · vo pänid (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · ja ペニー (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · nrf pénîn (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · hi पेनी (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound) · ga pingneacha (1/100 of a pound sterling or British pound) · nrf pénîn (1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound)