fivepence
Definition
Noun: 1. A coin worth five cents: A physical piece of currency with a monetary value of five cents. This term is specifically associated with historical British currency, referring to a coin worth five pence.
Usage
- The term "fivepence" is used to refer to the coin itself as a unit of currency. It is a compound noun formed from "five" and "pence." It is primarily a historical term from the pre-decimal British currency system, where 12 pence (d) made one shilling (s), and 20 shillings made one pound (£). A fivepence coin was worth 5d.
Examples
- Noun:
- He found an old fivepence from the 1950s in his grandfather's drawer.
- Before decimalization, a fivepence was a common coin in circulation.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used in historical or numismatic (coin-collecting) contexts to describe specific coins, such as the "silver fivepence" or "cupronickel fivepence."
- In modern UK decimal currency (post-1971), the term for the coin worth five new pence is "five pence" (often written as 5p), which is a separate lexical item. "Fivepence" (5d) refers specifically to the old coin.
Variants and Related Words
- Five pence (5p): The modern decimal coin of the United Kingdom, worth one-twentieth of a pound sterling. This is written as two words.
- Threepence: A historical British coin worth three pence (3d).
- Sixpence: A historical British coin worth six pence (6d).
Synonyms
- Five-cent piece: A general term for a coin of that value, though this is more common in currencies like the US dollar or the euro.
- Tanner: (Historical British slang) A slang term for a sixpence coin, not a fivepence.
Notes on Meaning
- The provided reference definition, "a coin worth five cents," uses "cents" generically. In the specific historical British context, the value is five (5d), not cents. In other currencies (e.g., US, Canadian, Australian), a "five-cent piece" is the common term. "Fivepence" is uniquely tied to British pre-decimal coinage.
Noun
-
a coin worth five cents
