cent
- 01 A1 Beginner
a small unit of money that is worth one-hundredth of a dollar or a euro.
a subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the basic unit in various countries, such as the dollar or euro.
Simple“The candy costs ninety-nine cents plus tax.”
In context“The exchange rate fluctuated by only a fraction of a cent during the morning trading session, showing unusual stability.”
Synonyms - 02 A2 Elementary
a small coin that has the value of one cent.
a physical coin representing the value of one cent.
Simple“He found a shiny cent on the sidewalk and put it in his pocket.”
In context“The collector examined the rare copper cent under a magnifying glass to check for minting errors.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a very small unit used to measure the difference between two musical notes.
a logarithmic unit of measure used for musical intervals, where twelve hundred cents equal one octave.
Simple“The piano tuner adjusted the string by just a few cents to make it perfect.”
In context“The digital tuner indicated that the violin's A-string was flat by approximately five cents.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
any small or unimportant amount of money.
a negligible sum of money; frequently used in negative constructions to indicate total lack of funds or value.
Simple“After paying his rent, he didn't have a cent left for food.”
In context“The bankrupt firm was unable to pay its creditors a single cent after the liquidation of its remaining assets.”
Usage cent funded · cent increase · cent of deaths
From Middle English cent, from Old French cent, from Latin centum, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.