pence

See also: Pence and pençe

English

Etymology

14th century contraction of penies (“pennies”), collective plural of penny.[1]

Pronunciation

  • (UK, Ireland) IPA(key): /pɛns/ (stressed), IPA(key): /pəns/ (unstressed and in compounds)
  • Rhymes: -ɛns

Noun

pence

  1. (Britain, Ireland) plural of penny (the subunit of the pound sterling or Irish pound).

Usage notes

  • This is the collective plural, used when referring to a sum of money, as in These apples are twenty pence each. When referring to several coins each worth one penny, the correct plural is pennies, as in I have one tenpence coin and three pennies.

References

  1. ↑ “pence” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.
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