# som

/ˈsɑm/ (US) · /sˈɒm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/som
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. currency of Kyrgyzstan

noun · CEFR B2

the official unit of money used in Kyrgyzstan.

For teachers: the official currency of Kyrgyzstan, divided into 100 tyiyn.

- I needed to exchange my dollars for Kyrgyz som before traveling to the mountains.
- The Kyrgyz som has remained relatively stable compared to other regional currencies despite fluctuations in the global market.

### 2. currency of Uzbekistan

noun · CEFR B2

the official unit of money used in Uzbekistan.

For teachers: the official currency of Uzbekistan, historically divided into 100 tiyin.

- The taxi driver in Tashkent asked for fifty thousand som for the ride.
- Inflation in the early 2000s led to the issuance of much higher denomination som banknotes in Uzbekistan.

### 3. wine expert

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a short, informal way to say 'sommelier' — a person who knows a lot about wine.

For teachers: a truncated, informal reference to a sommelier, typically used within the hospitality industry.

- The som at the restaurant recommended a great white wine to go with our fish.
- After years of study, he finally earned his certification and began working as a head som at a Michelin-starred establishment.

## Examples

- The traveler exchanged his dollars for som at the airport.
- After arriving in Bishkek, we needed to withdraw some som from the local ATM to pay for our taxi.
- The central bank monitored the exchange rate closely to ensure the som remained stable against major international currencies during the period of economic transition.

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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.