- Pennies
- Penny Pen*ny, n.; pl. {Pennies}or {Pence}. Pennies denotes the
number of coins; pence the amount of pennies in value. [OE.
peni, AS. penig, pening, pending; akin to D. penning, OHG.
pfenning, pfenting, G. pfennig, Icel. penningr; of uncertain
origin.]
1. An English coin, formerly of copper, now of bronze, the
twelfth part of an English shilling in account value, and
equal to four farthings, or about two cents; -- usually
indicated by the abbreviation d. (the initial of
denarius).
[1913 Webster]
Note: ``The chief Anglo-Saxon coin, and for a long period the only one, corresponded to the denarius of the Continent . . . [and was] called penny, denarius, or denier.'' --R. S. Poole. The ancient silver penny was worth about three pence sterling (see {Pennyweight}). The old Scotch penny was only one twelfth the value of the English coin. In the United States the word penny is popularly used for cent. [1913 Webster]
2. Any small sum or coin; a groat; a stiver. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3. Money, in general; as, to turn an honest penny. [1913 Webster]
What penny hath Rome borne, What men provided, what munition sent? --Shak. [1913 Webster]
4. (Script.) See {Denarius}. [1913 Webster]
{Penny cress} (Bot.), an annual herb of the Mustard family, having round, flat pods like silver pennies ({Thlaspi arvense}). --Dr. Prior.
{Penny dog} (Zo["o]l.), a kind of shark found on the South coast of Britain: the tope.
{Penny father}, a penurious person; a niggard. [Obs.] --Robinson (More's Utopia).
{Penny grass} (Bot.), pennyroyal. [R.]
{Penny post}, a post carrying a letter for a penny; also, a mail carrier.
{Penny wise}, wise or prudent only in small matters; saving small sums while losing larger; -- used chiefly in the phrase, penny wise and pound foolish. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.