# mina

/ˈminə/ (US) · /mˈiːnɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mina
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. ancient currency

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a unit of money used in ancient Greece and the Middle East.

For teachers: a monetary unit of ancient Greece and the Near East, originally representing a specific weight of silver.

- The merchant traded his goods for several silver minas in the ancient market.
- Scholars of ancient economics often debate the fluctuating purchasing power of the mina across different city-states in the Mediterranean.

### 2. ancient weight

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a unit of weight used in ancient times, equal to about 500 grams.

For teachers: an ancient unit of weight used in Mesopotamia and Greece, typically equivalent to one-sixtieth of a talent.

- The heavy stone was measured as one mina by the temple officials.
- Archaeological excavations have uncovered standardized weights that correspond to the Babylonian mina used for weighing precious metals.

### 3. a bird

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a different way to spell 'myna', which is a type of bird that can copy human speech.

For teachers: an alternative spelling of myna, referring to various Asian starlings known for their ability to mimic sounds.

- The mina bird in the pet shop could say hello to every customer.
- Ornithologists noted that the common mina has successfully adapted to urban environments across much of Southeast Asia.

## Examples

- The merchant sold the grain for one mina of silver.
- Archaeologists discovered ancient ledgers recording the trade of several minas of gold between the two city-states.
- In the classical Athenian monetary system, the mina served as an intermediate unit of account, representing one-sixtieth of a talent and consisting of one hundred silver drachmae.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.