yen /jen/ BrE AmE noun
[ Sense 1-2: Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: Japanese ; Origin: en , from Chinese yuan ; ⇨ ↑ yuan ]
[ Sense 3: Date: 1900-2000 ; Language: Chinese ; Origin: yan ]
1 . [countable] ( plural yen ) the standard unit of money in Japan: symbol ¥
2 . the yen the value of Japanese money in relation to the money of other countries:
The dollar fell by 24 percent against the yen (=decreased in value in relation to the yen) between 1970 and 1973.
3 . [singular] a strong desire
yen for
a yen for foreign travel
yen to do something
She’d always had a yen to write a book.