penny

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  "She, smiling, takes the pennies...."
• WordNet 3.6
  • n penny a coin worth one-hundredth of the value of the basic unit
  • n penny a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
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Additional illustrations & photos:

I don't know if you're acquainted with a paper called the Penny Patrician?

"THREE SHIES A PENNY."

• Interesting fact: The first penny candy to be wrapped in America was the Tootsie Roll in 1896
• • Penny A former English coin, originally of copper, then 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).
  • Penny Any small sum or coin; a groat; a stiver.
  • a Penny Denoting the weight in pounds for one thousand; -- used in combination, with respect to nails; as, tenpenny nails, nails of which one thousand weight ten pounds.
  • Penny Money, in general; as, to turn an honest penny . "What penny hath Rome borne,
    What men provided, what munition sent?"
  • Penny (Script) See Denarius.
  • a Penny Worth or costing one penny; as, penny candy.
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• Interesting fact: One penny doubled everyday becomes over 5 million dollars in just 30 days.
• • n penny A silver coin weighing 22 ½ grains, or the 240th part of a Tower pound. It corresponded to the Roman denarius, and was also called easterling. (See easterling, n., 2.) In 1346 its weight was reduced to 20 grains. Similar coins called pennies were in use in Scotland and Ireland. [In early times any coin could be called a penny. Thus, the gold coins called florins, struck by order of Edward III. in 1343, were called by the people gold pennies, and the half-florins and quarter-florins respectively gold halfpennies and gold farthings.]
  • n penny In Great Britain, a copper (since 1860 bronze) token coin, of which twelve are equal to a shilling and 240 to a pound sterling. It weighs 145.833 grains troy, and is worth in metal about one fourth of its face-value. It is about equivalent to two cents United States currency. Copper pennies were first struck in the time of James I. (about 1609). In Scotland the value of the old penny was only one twelfth of a penny sterling, the pound being equal to 20 pence sterling. Abbreviated d. (for denarius).
  • n penny In the United States, a cent.
  • n penny An insignificant coin or value; a small sum.
  • n penny Money in general: as, it cost a pretty penny (a good round sum); to turn an honest penny.
  • n penny Pound: only in composition, in the phrases fourpenny, sixpenny, eightpenny, tenpenny nails, designating nails of such sizes that 1,000 will weigh 4, 6, 8, or 10 pounds. The original form of the phrases was four-pound nails, six-pound nails, etc.— that is, nails weighing 4, 6, etc., pounds to a thousand. These phrases, pronounced four-pun' nails, six-pun' nails, etc., seem to have become confused in the popular mind with fourpenny, sixpenny, etc., familiar adjectives denoting the price of small purchases; hence the present form, and so with eightpenny and tenpenny. See nail, 5.
  • n penny In archery, a measure of weight for arrows, equal to one twelfth of the weight of a new (British) silver shilling: as, a 4s. 6d. arrow.
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• Interesting fact: Pennies are made of 95% copper and 5% zinc.
• • n Penny pen′i a copper coin (bronze since 1860), originally silver=1⁄12 of a shilling, or four farthings: a small sum: money in general:
  • n Penny pen′i (N.T.) a silver coin=7½d.: pound, in fourpenny, sixpenny, tenpenny nails=four, six, ten pound weight to the thousand
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• Plutarch

  

  “Nothing is cheap which is superfluous, for what one does not need, is dear at a penny.”
• Pablo Picasso

  

  “It is personality with a penny's worth of talent. Error which chances to rise above the commonplace.”
• Shelby Friedman

  

  “Nowadays, a penny saved is ridiculous!”
• Robert Pollok

  

  “With one hand he put a penny in the urn of poverty, and with the other took a shilling out.”
• French Proverb

  

  “Penny wise is often pound foolish.”
• Francis Bacon

  

  “Be not penny-wise. Riches have wings. Sometimes they fly away of themselves, and sometimes they must be set flying to bring in more.”

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