penny
Penny (noun) means a small coin worth one cent, or one-hundredth of a pound or dollar. Example: “She found a penny on the sidewalk and picked it up for luck.”
How to use penny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe smallest standard coin in the US or UK currency system, or money in general.
Word forms
pennied past tense, pennies plural, pence plural, pens plural, pennies singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She found a _____ on the sidewalk and picked it up for luck.
Etymology
From Old English peniġ/penning, of uncertain deeper origin; a doublet of the German pfennig.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for penny
See all rhymes for penny →Frequently asked questions
What does “penny” mean?
The word “penny” means a small coin worth one cent, or one-hundredth of a pound or dollar. In plain terms, the smallest standard coin in the US or UK currency system, or money in general.
How do you pronounce “penny”?
“Penny” is pronounced PEH-nee (/ˈpɛni/ in IPA).
How do you use “penny” in a sentence?
Here is “penny” used in a sentence: “She found a penny on the sidewalk and picked it up for luck.”
What is another word for “penny”?
Words with a similar meaning to “penny” include old penny and 1⁄100 of a pound sterling.
What part of speech is “penny”?
“Penny” is a noun.
Where does the word “penny” come from?
The word “penny” comes from Old English. From Old English peniġ/penning, of uncertain deeper origin; a doublet of the German pfennig.
Is “penny” a common word?
“Penny” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “penny” have?
“Penny” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small coin worth one cent, or one-hundredth of a pound or dollar.
What is the plural of penny — pennies or pence?
Use pennies for the individual coins and, in British English, pence for an amount of money: three pennies are three separate coins, while three pence is a sum. In American English, pennies is the usual plural in all senses, since pence is not used for US money.
Is a penny the same as a cent?
In the United States, penny is the everyday name for the one-cent coin, so a penny is worth one cent — but cent is the official unit. In Britain, the penny is itself the official unit, worth one-hundredth of a pound.