ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rupee

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ɹuˈpi// UK //ɹˈuːpiː// ru·pee Archaic

n. the official unit of money used in several countries, including India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

n. the standard unit of currency in various South Asian and Indian Ocean nations. Derived from the Sanskrit term for 'wrought silver'.


SIMPLE

The meal costs five hundred rupees.

CONTEXTUAL

Travelers should exchange their currency for rupees upon arrival at the international airport in Mumbai.

COMPLEX

The central bank intervened in the foreign exchange market to stabilize the rupee against the dollar after a sudden drop in investor confidence.

Origin

Coined by Sher Shah Suri, the Sultan of the Suri Empire 1540–1545 as Hindustani रुपीया / رُوپِییَہ (rūpīya), variant of रुपया / رُوپَیَہ (rūpaya, “rupee”), from Sanskrit रूप्यक (rūpyaka, “silver coin”), from रूप्य (rūpya, “wrought gold or silver; stamped coin; beautiful, well-shaped; impressed, stamped”). Doublet of rufiyaa and rupiah.

Usage

Takes a plural verb when referring to multiple units of currency.

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