- Currency
- Currency Cur"ren*cy (k?r"r?n-c?), n.; pl. {Currencies} (-s?z).
[Cf. LL. currentia a current, fr. L. currens, p. pr. of
currere to run. See {Current}.]
1. A continued or uninterrupted course or flow like that of a
stream; as, the currency of time. [Obs.] --Ayliffe.
[1913 Webster]
2. The state or quality of being current; general acceptance or reception; a passing from person to person, or from hand to hand; circulation; as, a report has had a long or general currency; the currency of bank notes. [1913 Webster]
3. That which is in circulation, or is given and taken as having or representing value; as, the currency of a country; a specie currency; esp., government or bank notes circulating as a substitute for metallic money. [1913 Webster]
4. Fluency; readiness of utterance. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
5. Current value; general estimation; the rate at which anything is generally valued. [1913 Webster]
He . . . takes greatness of kingdoms according to their bulk and currency, and not after intrinsic value. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
The bare name of Englishman . . . too often gave a transient currency to the worthless and ungrateful. --W. Irving. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.