shilling

CEFRC2

/ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A former British coin worth twelve old pence.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A currency in the United States, differing in value between states.

Examples

  • He headed to Miami and started shilling for crypto.

  • I'm not sure how I got a shilling in my change from the cashier.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings
  1. The currency of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.

  2. A coin formerly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries worth twelve old pence, or one twentieth of a pound sterling.

  3. The Spanish real, formerly having the value of one eighth of a dollar.

More examples

In context
  • May I have a shilling, sir?

  • The smaller silver coins of Europe, such as the solidus or German shilling, the mark, and others never found their way east in any quantity on account of their small size and value.

  • And without that profit an employee with my salary can make only a poor living and not be able to save one Danish shilling.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

In 18th century London, a fresh loaf of bread cost one blank.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English schilling, shilling, from Old English sċilling, from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz, equivalent to skill + -ing. Doublet of scalding and schilling. Compare typologically Russian рубль (rublʹ) (akin to руби́ть (rubítʹ)), полти́на (poltína), полти́нник (poltínnik) (akin to Proto-Slavic *tęti).