penny

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. a way to talk about money or the cost of something.

n. used metonymically to refer to money, wealth, or the specific cost of an item, often in idiomatic expressions.

“That new sports car must have cost a pretty penny.”

“The renovation ended up costing every penny of their savings, leaving them with no emergency fund for the winter.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun British English · Archaic

n. an old British coin used before 1971 that was worth 1/240 of a pound.

n. a historical unit of currency in the UK and Ireland worth 1/240 of a pound sterling prior to decimalisation in 1971.

“My grandfather kept a few old pennies from before the currency changed.”

“Numismatists often seek out the 1933 penny due to its extreme rarity and the historical context of its limited production.”

C2 · Proficiency Electronics Technical · Informal

v. to dangerously fix a fuse by putting a coin in the socket.

v. to circumvent a circuit breaker or fuse by inserting a coin into the socket, creating a significant fire hazard.

“The old house burned down because someone had pennied the fuse box.”

“The fire investigator determined that the blaze originated in the basement after a tenant had pennied a blown fuse instead of replacing it.”