Definitions for penny
ˈpɛn ipen·ny

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. pennynoun

   a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound

2. penny, cent, centimenoun

   a coin worth one-hundredth of the value of the basic unit

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pennynoun

   In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a copper coin worth 1/240 of a pound sterling or Irish pound before decimalisation. Abbreviation: d.

2. pennynoun

   In the United Kingdom, a copper coin worth 1/100 of a pound sterling.

3. pennynoun

   In Ireland, a coin worth 1/100 of an Irish pound before the introduction of the euro. Abbreviation: p.

4. pennynoun

   In the US and Canada, a one-cent coin, worth 1/100 of a dollar. Abbreviation: u00A2.

5. pennynoun

   In various countries, a small denomination copper or brass coin.

6. pennynoun

   A unit of nail size, said to be either the cost per 100 nails, or the number of nails per penny. Abbreviation: d.

7. pennyverb

   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.

8. pennyverb

   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.

9. Pennynoun

   A diminutive of the female given name Penelope.

10. Etymology: From penning, pennig, from panningaz, of origin.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. PENNYnoun

   plural pence.

   Etymology: penig , Saxon.

   1. A small coin, of which twelve make a shilling: a penny is the radical denomination from which English coin is numbered, the copper halfpence and farthings being only nummerum famuli, a subordinate species of coin.

   She sighs and shakes her empty shoes in vain,
   No silver penny to reward her pain. Dryden.

   One frugal on his birth-day fears to dine,
   Does at a penny ’s cost in herbs repine. Dryden.

   2. Proverbially. A small sum.

   You shall hear
   The legions, now in Gallia, sooner landed
   In our not fearing Britain, than have tidings
   Of any penny tribute paid. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.

   We will not lend thee a penny. William Shakespeare.

   Because there is a latitude of gain in buying and selling, take not the utmost penny that is lawful, for although it be lawful, yet it is not safe. Jeremy Taylor, Living Holy.

   3. Money in general.

   Pepper and Sabean incense take;
   And with post-haste thy running markets make;
   Be sure to turn the penny. Dryden.

   It may be a contrivance of some printer, who hath a mind to make a penny. Jonathan Swift, Miscellanies.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pennyadjective

   denoting pound weight for one thousand; -- used in combination, with respect to nails; as, tenpenny nails, nails of which one thousand weight ten pounds

2. Pennynoun

   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)

3. Pennynoun

   any small sum or coin; a groat; a stiver

4. Pennynoun

   money, in general; as, to turn an honest penny

5. Pennynoun

   see Denarius

6. Pennyadjective

   worth or costing one penny

7. Etymology: [Perh. a corruption of pun, for pound.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Penny

   A penny is a coin or a unit of currency used in several English-speaking countries. It is often the smallest denomination within a currency system.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Penny

   pen′i, n. a copper coin (bronze since 1860), originally silver=1⁄12 of a shilling, or four farthings: a small sum: money in general: (N.T.) a silver coin=7½d.: pound, in fourpenny, sixpenny, tenpenny nails=four, six, ten pound weight to the thousand:—pl. Pennies (pen′iz), denoting the number of coins; Pence (pens), the amount of pennies in value.—adjs. Penn′ied, possessed of a penny; Penn′iless, without a penny: without money: poor.—ns. Penn′ilessness; Penn′y-a-lin′er, one who writes for a public journal at so much a line: a writer for pay; Penn′y-a-lin′erism, hack-writing; Penn′y-dog, the tope or miller's dog, a kind of shark; Penn′y-post, a means of carrying a letter for a penny; Penn′y-rent, income; Penn′yweight, twenty-four grains of troy weight (the weight of a silver penny); Penn′y-wis′dom, prudence in petty matters.—adj. Penn′y-wise, saving small sums at the risk of larger: niggardly on improper occasions.—ns. Penn′y-worth, a penny's worth of anything: the amount that can be given for a penny: a good bargain—also Penn′'orth (coll.); Pē′ter's-pence, the name given to an old tribute offered to the Roman Pontiff, now a voluntary contribution.—Penny fee (Scot.), a small wage; Penny gaff (slang), a low-class theatre; Penny mail (Scot.), rent in money, not in kind: a small sum paid to the superior of land; Penny wedding, a wedding ceremonial in Scotland, at which the invited guests made contributions in money to pay the general expenses.—A pretty penny, a considerable sum of money; Turn an honest penny, to earn money honestly. [A.S. penig, oldest form pending, where pend=Eng. pawn, Ger. pfand, Dut. pand, a pledge, all which are from L. pannus, a rag, a piece of cloth.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Penny

   originally a silver coin, weighed in the 7th century 1/240-th of a Saxon pound, but decreased in weight till in Elizabeth's time it was 1/63 of an ounce troy. It was at first indented with a cross so as to be broken for halfpennies and farthings, but silver coins of these denominations were coined by Edward I. Edward VI. stopped the farthings, and the halfpence were stopped in the Commonwealth. Copper coinage was established in 1672. The present coins were issued first in 1860. They are half the size of their predecessors, and intrinsically worth one-seventh of their nominal value.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. penny

   Song lyrics by penny -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by penny on the Lyrics.com website.

Etymology and Origins(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Penny

   From the Danish pennig and German pfennig, a copper coin of full value. This was originally nicked across to admit of being broken into halves and quarters.

Matched Categories

1. • Coin
   • Fractional Monetary Unit

British National Corpus

1. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'penny' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2609

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'penny' in Nouns Frequency: #2336

How to pronounce penny?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say penny in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of penny in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of penny in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of penny in a Sentence

1. Rizwan Khaliq:

   This is the first time in as long as I can remember that we have an opportunity to not only hold a country accountable for what they did at that time in history, but also help a country become part of the world economy, help a country set up path towards improving lives of their citizens, if I could give them back every penny I've ever received for my vision, I'd be happy.

2. Chief Executive Randall Stephenson:

   We're not going to be penny-wise and pound-foolish here, we intend to invest.

3. Lakshheish M Patel:

   I will not allow anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.' — mahatma gandhi 'I will not allow any trader or investor to walk out by making a single penny from the dalal street.' — All Stock Brokerage firms Association

4. Barnaby Rich:

   One of the diseases of this age is the multitude of books. It is a thriftless and a thankless occupation, this writing of books: a man were better to sing in a cobbler?s shop, for his pay is a penny a patch; but a book-writer, if he get sometimes a few commendations from the judicious, he shall be sure to reap a thousand reproaches from the malicious.

5. Jon Gray:

   There’s not a specific thing I follow, but I’ve been pitching with the same penny in my pocket the last three or four times, and I’ve done a lot better, it’s a 2016 penny. It was on heads and in the bullpen, so I thoughtit made sense. It was meant for me to see it, so I picked it up and put it in my pocket, and have been doing well ever since. I’m just going to keep rolling with it. I’ve been taking very good care of it. Been taking it out of my pocket, putting it in the same part of my locker, and putting it back in each time. I’ve been handling it really well. I’m surprised it’s lasted as long as it has. I found it in the bullpen before Tampa, I found it in our bullpen.

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