pen ‧ ny S1 /ˈpeni/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: penning , penig ]
1 .
a) ( plural pence ) ( abbreviation p ) a small unit of money in Britain. There are 100 pence in one pound:
The bus fare is 80 pence.
a 50p piece (=coin)
A loaf of bread costs 70p.
b) ( plural pennies ) a coin worth one penny:
I’ve only got a few pennies left.
2 . ( plural pennies ) a coin that is worth one ↑ cent in the US or Canada. One hundred pennies are equal to $1.
3 . ( plural pennies or pence ) ( written abbreviation d ) a British unit of money or coin used until 1971. There were 12 pennies in one ↑ shilling
twopence/threepence etc
a book costing only sixpence
fourpenny/sixpenny etc
a fourpenny cigar
a threepenny bit (=coin)
4 . not a penny used to emphasize that someone has no money or that something did not cost any money:
I haven’t got a penny on me.
It didn’t cost me a penny.
He died without a penny to his name.
5 . every penny all of an amount of money:
The hotel was expensive but it was worth every penny.
every penny of
He was determined to go to Australia even if it took every penny of his savings.
6 . every penny counts used to say that money is needed and even a small amount is important:
Every penny counts in the battle to save the rain forests.
7 . the/your last penny the only money that is left:
She’s down to her last penny.
8 . a penny for your thoughts/a penny for them spoken used to ask someone who is silent what they are thinking about
9 . in for a penny, in for a pound spoken used to say that because you are already involved in something, you will complete it whatever time, money, or effort is needed:
Oh well, it’s done now. In for a penny, in for a pound.
10 . the penny (has) dropped British English informal used to say that someone has finally understood something that they had not understood before
11 . be two/ten a penny British English to be very common and easy to get, or cheap – used to show disapproval:
Rings like these are ten a penny.
12 . turn up like a bad penny British English if someone you dislike turns up like a bad penny, they appear when they are not wanted
⇨ ↑ halfpenny , ⇨ spend a penny at ↑ spend (5), ⇨ cost a pretty penny at ↑ pretty 2 (6)