yen

¹

[ yen ]

noun

, plural yen.

1. an aluminum coin and monetary unit of Japan, equal to 100 sen or 1000 rin. : ¥; : Y
2. a former silver coin of Japan.

yen

²

[ yen ]

noun

1. a desire or craving:

   I had a yen for apple pie.

   Synonyms: appetite, hunger, hankering, longing

verb (used without object)

, yenned, yen·ning.

1. to have a craving; yearn.

yen

¹

/ jɛn /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Japan, (notionally) divided into 100 sen

yen

²

/ jɛn /

noun

1. a passionate, ardent, or intense longing or desire

verb

1. intr to yearn

Word History and Origins

Origin of yen¹

1870–75; < Japanese ( y ) en < Chinese yuán yuan

Origin of yen²

1905–10, Americanism; probably < dialectal Chinese (OAGuangdong) yáhn, akin to Chinese yǐn craving, addiction

Word History and Origins

Origin of yen¹

C19: from Japanese en , from Chinese yüan circular object, dollar

Origin of yen²

perhaps from Chinese (Cantonese) yăn a craving, addiction

Idioms and Phrases

see have a yen for .

Example Sentences

The amount of vanished bitcoins was 650,000 BTC (or 24.7 billion yen).

From The Daily Beast

The cops say Kakehi gained several hundred million yen in inheritance from the deaths over the years.

From The Daily Beast

The ministry pours an estimated 700 million yen (6.8 million dollars) into whale research per year.

From The Daily Beast

This is a country where an estimated two trillion yen ($19.3 billion) are spent each year on the legal sex industry.

From The Daily Beast

Day tickets at Asahidake (www.wakasaresort.com) cost 4,000 yen.

From The Daily Beast

Long-yen is somewhat smaller, but is also white and tender, though the taste is rather watery.

From Project Gutenberg

The one I liked best was (even in Japanese things my fancy usually hits on the most expensive) just a thousand yen in price!

From Project Gutenberg

I had rather a time getting old Hiraoka to rent it, but an auctioneer will do anything for enough yen.

From Project Gutenberg

They plundered a sum of 200,000 yen from the Ono Company, and made a successful raid upon the prefectural offices of Kumamoto.

From Project Gutenberg

But for its passage, the deficit of the next fiscal year would have reached beyond forty-six millions of yen.

From Project Gutenberg