1. An English coin, formerly of copper, now of bronze, the twelfth part of an English shilling in account
value, and equal to four farthings, or about two cents; — usually indicated by the abbreviation d. (the
initial of denarius).
"The chief Anglo-Saxon coin, and for a long period the only one, corresponded to the denarius of the
Continent . . . [and was] called penny, denarius, or denier." R. S. Poole. The ancient silver penny was
worth about three pence sterling The old Scotch penny was only one twelfth the value of the English
coin. In the United States the word penny is popularly used for cent.
2. Any small sum or coin; a groat; a stiver. Shak.
3. Money, in general; as, to turn an honest penny.
What penny hath Rome borne,
What men provided, what munition sent?
Shak. 4. (Script.) See Denarius.
Penny cress (Bot.), an annual herb of the Mustard family, having round, flat pods like silver pennies
Dr. Prior. — Penny dog (Zoöl.), a kind of shark found on the South coast of Britain: the tope. — Penny
father, a penurious person; a niggard. [Obs.] Robinson — Penny grass (Bot.), pennyroyal. [R.] —
Penny post, a post carrying a letter for a penny; also, a mail carrier. — Penny wise, wise or prudent
only in small matters; saving small sums while losing larger; — used chiefly in the phrase, penny wise
and pound foolish.
Penny
(Pen"ny) a. Worth or costing one penny.
Penny-a-liner
(Pen"ny-a-lin"er) n. One who furnishes matter to public journals at so much a line; a poor
writer for hire; a hack writer. Thackeray.
Pennyroyal
(Pen`ny*roy"al) n. [A corruption of OE. puliall royal. OE. puliall is ultimately derived fr. L.
puleium, or pulegium regium (so called as being good against fleas), fr. pulex a flea; and royal is a
translation of L. regium, in puleium regium.] (Bot.) An aromatic herb (Mentha Pulegium) of Europe; also,
a North American plant (Hedeoma pulegioides) resembling it in flavor.
Bastard pennyroyal (Bot.) See Blue curls, under Blue.
Pennyweight
(Pen"ny*weight`) n. A troy weight containing twenty-four grains, or the twentieth part of an
ounce; as, a pennyweight of gold or of arsenic. It was anciently the weight of a silver penny, whence the
name.
Pennywort
(Pen"ny*wort`) n. (Bot.) A European trailing herb (Linaria Cymbalaria) with roundish, reniform
leaves. It is often cultivated in hanging baskets.
March, or Water, pennywort. (Bot.) See under March.
