Definition

1. Noun:
   • The basic monetary unit of the United Kingdom: The "British pound" is the official currency of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is subdivided into 100 smaller units called pence.
   • A unit of value and medium of exchange: It serves as the standard measure of value for goods and services within the UK's economy.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The price of the book is ten British pounds.
  • I need to exchange my dollars for British pounds before my trip to London.
  • The antique was sold at auction for several thousand British pounds.

Advanced Usage

• "Pound sterling": This is the full formal name for the currency, often used in financial contexts to distinguish it from other currencies called "pound".
  • The agreement was settled in pounds sterling.
• Symbolic Representation: The British pound is commonly represented by the symbol "£" (the pound sign).
  • The cost is £50 (fifty pounds).

Variants and Related Words

• Pound (GBP): A common shortened form. "GBP" is the ISO 4217 currency code (Great British Pound).
  • The transfer was made in GBP.
• Pence: The plural form for the subdivision of the pound (singular: penny).
  • It costs one pound and fifty pence.
• Quid: (Informal, slang) A colloquial term for one or more pounds.
  • It cost me twenty quid.

Synonyms

• Pound sterling: The full formal name.
• GBP: The official three-letter currency code.

Related Phrases

• Pound coin: The physical coin representing one pound.
  • I paid with a pound coin.
• Pound note: A banknote representing a pound value (though £1 notes are now rare in England).
  • He gave me a five-pound note.

Related Idioms

• "To be worth a pound of flesh": This idiom, originating from Shakespeare's , refers to a debt that is insisted upon ruthlessly. It is sometimes used in economic or financial criticism.
  • The loan sharks demanded their pound of flesh. (Note: This idiom uses "pound" as a unit of weight, not directly the currency, but is culturally associated due to the phrase's prominence.)

Noun

1. the basic unit of money in Great Britain and Northern Ireland; equal to 100 pence