penny

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Translations 1.3.2.1 Derived terms 1.4 Verb 1.5 See also 2 French 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /'pɛ.ni/, SAMPA: /pE.ni/

   Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ɛni

[edit] Etymology

From Old English penning, pennig possibly from Proto-Germanic *panningaz.

[edit] Noun

penny (plural pennies when referring to individual coins; (UK) pence when referring to an amount of money)

1. (historical) In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a copper coin worth 1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound before decimalisation. Abbreviation: d.
2. In the United Kingdom, a copper coin worth 1/100 of a pound sterling.
3. (historical) In Ireland, a coin worth 1/100 of an Irish pound before the introduction of the euro. Abbreviation: p.
4. In the US and Canada, a one-cent coin, worth 1/100 of a dollar. Abbreviation: ¢.
5. In various countries, a small denomination copper or brass coin.
6. A unit of nail size, said to be either the cost per 100 nails, or the number of nails per penny. Abbreviation: d.

[edit] Synonyms

• (1/240 of a pound sterling): old penny
• (1/100 of a pound sterling): new penny (old-fashioned)
• (one-cent coin): cent

[edit] Translations

one-cent coin in US and Canada See cent

[edit] Derived terms

• pence
• penny-farthing

[edit] Verb

to penny (third-person singular simple present pennies, present participle pennying, simple past and past participle pennied)

1. (slang) To jam a door shut by inserting pennies between the doorframe and the door.

   Zach and Ben had only been at college for a week when their door was pennied by the girls down the hall.

2. (electronics) To circumvent the tripping of an electrical circuit breaker by the dangerous practice of inserting a coin in place of a fuse in a fuse socket.

[edit] See also

• d
• the penny drops

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[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

Borrowed from English

[edit] Noun

penny m. (plural pennys)

1. penny