ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vincent

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈvɪnsənt// vin·cent Archaic Slang

n. a slang name for a twenty-pound note in British money. It comes from the name of a famous artist, but people mostly use it when talking about cash in a casual way.

n. a slang term for a twenty-pound sterling banknote. Derived from the portrait of William Shakespeare on older notes, though the term persists as a general colloquialism for the denomination.


SIMPLE

Can you lend me a Vincent until tomorrow?

CONTEXTUAL

He reached into his wallet and pulled out a Vincent to pay for the round of drinks.

COMPLEX

While the term is less common among younger generations, older market traders still occasionally refer to a twenty-pound note as a Vincent during quick cash transactions.

Origin

Borrowed from French Vincent, from Latin Vincentius, from vincēns (“conquering”), from the verb vincō.

Usage

Informal British slang; typically used in spoken English rather than written text.

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