obolus

Thân thiện

A scientist places an obolus on a precise laboratory scale.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A Greek unit of weight: An obolus is a small unit of weight used in ancient Greece, historically equal to one sixth of a drachma. In modern metric terms, it is defined as one tenth of a gram.

Usage

• The word is used primarily in historical, numismatic, or academic contexts to refer to an ancient measurement.
• It can also refer to a small silver coin of the same weight used in ancient Greece.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The ancient recipe called for an obolus of saffron.
  • Charon's fee for ferrying souls across the River Styx was traditionally an obolus, placed in the mouth of the deceased.

Advanced Usage

• "Pay one's obolus": An idiomatic expression stemming from the ancient practice, meaning to pay one's due or settle a debt, often with a connotation of a final payment.
  • By completing the project, he finally paid his obolus to the team.

Variants and Related Words

• Obol (n): A common variant spelling of .
• Drachma (n): A larger Greek unit of weight and silver coin, equal to six oboloi.
• Mina (n): A larger Greek unit of weight, equal to 100 drachmae.

Synonyms

• Weight unit: A general term for any unit of measurement for mass.
• Small coin: A general term for a coin of little value.

Related Phrases

• Charon's obol: A specific phrase referring to the coin used as a burial custom to pay the ferryman Charon in Greek mythology.
  • Archaeologists found a Charon's obol in the ancient tomb.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a Greek unit of weight equal to one tenth of a gram