YEN Meaning of YEN in English 1. n. (pl. same) the chief monetary unit of Japan. Etymology: Jap. f. Chin. yuan round, dollar 2. n. & v. colloq. --n. a longing or yearning. --v.intr. (yenned, yenning) feel a longing. Etymology: Chin. dial. Oxford English vocab. Оксфордский английский словарь. 2012