¦ noun (plural for separate coins pennies, for a sum of money pence)
1. (abbrev.: p.) a British bronze coin and monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound.
(abbrev.: d.) a former British coin and monetary unit equal to one twelfth of a shilling and 240th of a pound.
N. Amer. informal a one-cent coin.
(in biblical use) a denarius.
2. [with negative] (a penny) no money at all.
Phrases
be two (or ten) a penny chiefly Brit. be plentiful and thus of little value.
in for a penny, in for a pound expressing an intention to see an undertaking through, however much time, effort, or money this entails.
pennies from heaven unexpected benefits.
the penny drops informal, chiefly Brit. one finally realizes something.
a penny for your thoughts a request to someone to say what they are thinking about.
Origin
OE
penig,
penning of Gmc origin; perh. related to
pawn2 and (with ref. to shape)
pan1.
Usage
On the different uses of the plural forms
pence and
pennies, see
usage at
pence.