dirham

American  

[dir-ham, dih-ram, dir-uhm] / dɪrˈhæm, dɪˈræm, ˈdɪr əm /

noun

1. a money of account of Iraq, one 20th of a dinar, equal to 50 fils.

2. a money of account of Kuwait, one 10th of a dinar, equal to 100 fils.

3. a brass-clad steel coin and monetary unit of Libya, one 100th of a dinar: replaced the millieme in 1971.

4. a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of Morocco, equal to 100 centimes. DH.

5. a bronze or cupronickel coin of Qatar, one 100th of a riyal.

6. a money of account of Tunisia, one 10th of a dinar, equal to 100 millimes.

7. a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of the United Arab Emirates, equal to 100 fils.

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dirham British  

/ ˈdɪəræm /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Morocco, divided into 100 centimes

2. the standard monetary unit of the United Arab Emirates, divided into 10 dinars and 100 fils

3. 1. a Kuwaiti monetary unit worth one tenth of a dinar and 100 fils

   2. a Tunisian monetary unit worth one tenth of a dinar and 100 millimes

   3. a Qatari monetary unit worth one hundredth of a riyal

   4. a Libyan monetary unit worth one thousandth of a dinar

4. any of various silver coins minted in North African countries at different periods

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Etymology

Origin of dirham

First recorded in 1965–70; from Arabic dirham, from Greek dráchma; see drachma

Example Sentences

Dr. Longrich paid the cashier no more than 200 Moroccan Dirham, or about $20, after bargaining to bring down the price, and brought the fossils back to Britain for further study.

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2022

I remember Mick Easterby landing an incredible gamble with Top Dirham in the Bell a few years ago where at one stage it seemed that punters would take almost any price they were offered.

From The Guardian • Jun. 27, 2012

Dirham kissed the hem of the pasha's garment and promised that he would carefully perform everything.

From The Lion of Janina The Last Days of the Janissaries by Jókai, Mór

Ali carefully noted those bulbs which Dirham had bestowed the greatest pains upon, and then went down and entered into conversation with him.

From The Lion of Janina The Last Days of the Janissaries by Jókai, Mór

The Dirham of The Nights was worth six "Dánik," each of these being a fraction over a penny.

From The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 by Burton, Richard Francis, Sir