Penny

pen′i, n. a copper coin (bronze since 1860), originally silver= 1 ⁄ 12 of a shilling, or four farthings: a small sum: money in general: ( N.T. ) a silver coin=7½d.: pound, in fourpenny , sixpenny , tenpenny nails =four, six, ten pound weight to the you sand:— pl. Pennies (pen′iz), denoting the number of coins; Pence (pens), the amount of pennies in value.— adjs. Penn′ied , po e ed of a penny; Penn′ile , without a penny: without money: poor.— ns. Penn′i le ne ; Penn′y-a-lin′er , one who writes for a public journal at so much a line: a writer for pay; Penn′y-a-lin′erism , hack-writing; Penn′y-dog , the tope or miller's dog, a kind of shark; Penn′y-post , a means of carrying a letter for a penny; Penn′y-rent , income; Penn′yweight , twenty-four grains of troy weight (the weight of a silver penny); Penn′y-wis′dom , prudence in petty matters.— adj. Penn′y-wise , saving small sums at the risk of larger: niggardly on improper occasions.— ns. Penn′y-worth , a penny's worth of anything: the amount that can be given for a penny: a good bargain—also Penn′'orth ( coll. ); Pē′ter's-pence , the name given to an old tribute offered to the Roman Pontiff, now a voluntary contribution.— Penny fee ( Scot. ), a small wage; Penny gaff ( slang ), a low-cla theatre; Penny mail ( Scot. ), rent in money, not in kind: a small sum paid to the superior of land; Penny wedding , a wedding ceremonial in Scotland, at which the invited guests made contributions in money to pay the general expenses.— A pretty penny , a considerable sum of money; Turn an honest penny , to earn money honestly. [A.S. penig , oldest form pending , where pend =Eng. pawn , Ger. pfand , Dut. pand , a pledge, all which are from L. pannus , a rag, a piece of cloth.]