Definition

Noun: 1. The basic unit of money in Russia: The rouble is the official currency of the Russian Federation. It is subdivided into 100 kopecks. 2. A monetary unit: Historically, the term has also referred to the currency of other nations, such as the former Soviet Union and some other post-Soviet states, though the Russian rouble is the primary contemporary usage.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The price of the book is 500 roubles.
  • He exchanged his dollars for Russian roubles at the airport.
  • The old Soviet rouble is no longer in circulation.

Advanced Usage

• "Hard rouble": A term sometimes used historically to refer to a convertible rouble, as opposed to a domestic, non-convertible one.
  • International trade agreements were sometimes negotiated in hard roubles.
• "Rouble zone": Refers to the area of countries that used the rouble as currency following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  • Several newly independent states initially remained part of the rouble zone.

Variants and Related Words

• Ruble: The most common alternative spelling, especially in American English.
  • The contract was valued at ten million rubles.
• Kopeck (or Kopek): A subunit of the rouble, equal to 1/100 of a rouble.
  • The coin was worth only a few kopecks.

Synonyms

• Russian currency: The general term for money used in Russia.
• RUB: The official ISO 4217 currency code for the Russian rouble.

Related Phrases

• "To be worth a rouble": To have some value (though not a common idiom, it can be used contextually).
  • In the current economy, that idea isn't worth a rouble.
• "Rouble-denominated": Describing assets, debts, or contracts valued in roubles.
  • The company held rouble-denominated bonds.

Notes on Meaning

The word rouble refers specifically to the unit of currency. It does not refer to the physical banknotes or coins themselves (which are rouble notes or rouble coins), nor does it inherently describe the economic value or strength of the currency. Its primary and almost exclusive use is in financial and economic contexts concerning Russia.

Noun

1. the basic unit of money in Russia