Word
aureus
Phoneticsau·reus
US/ˈɔˌɹɛəs/
UK/ˈɔːɹɪəs/
Definition
n. a type of gold coin used in ancient Rome. It was the main money for paying taxes and buying expensive things.
n. a gold coin of ancient Rome, typically weighing about 8 grams. Often used in the context of historical numismatics or literary references to Roman currency.
Examples
“The archaeologists found a gold aureus in the temple ruins.”
“In the museum's collection, a single gold aureus is displayed alongside other Roman coins to show the empire's economic power.”
Examples
simple
“The archaeologists found a gold aureus in the temple ruins.”
contextual
“In the museum's collection, a single gold aureus is displayed alongside other Roman coins to show the empire's economic power.”
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“Higher levels of antibodies targeting common microbes, including Staphylococcus aureus, RSV and human respirovirus 3, were associated with stronger responses to COVID-19 vaccines.” “It also exhibited significantly stronger antibacterial activity against common pathogenic strains, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Staphylococcus aureus.” Etymology
From Latin aureus (“golden; gold coin equivalent to 25 denarii”), noun use of adjective, from aurum (“gold”). Doublet of eyrir, öre, øre, and oyra.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/aureus