pen‧ny S1 / peni / 名词 [可数名词]
1
a) ( 复数形式 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) ( 复数形式 pennies ) a coin worth one penny :
I’ve only got a few pennies left.
2 ( 复数形式 pennies ) a coin that is worth one cent in the US or Canada. One hundred pennies are equal to $1.
3 ( 复数形式 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 )