denarius
Americannoun
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a silver coin and monetary unit of ancient Rome, first issued in the latter part of the 3rd century b.c., that fluctuated in value and sometimes appeared as a bronze coin.
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a gold coin of ancient Rome equal to 25 silver denarii; aureus.
noun
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a silver coin of ancient Rome, often called a penny in translation
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a gold coin worth 25 silver denarii
Etymology
Origin of denarius
First recorded in 1565–85; from Latin dēnārius, originally an adjective: “containing ten (asses)”; see origin at denary
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I found two Roman brooches, then a Julius Caesar silver denarius dating from 46-47BC," he said.
From BBC • May 21, 2022
Its production was also a proxy for a central economic activity, the use of silver in the Romans’ standard silver coin, the denarius.
From New York Times • May 14, 2018
After 20 years digging up denarius coins on Time Team, he surely knows more than most about the Roman occupation of England.
From The Guardian • Aug. 24, 2015
In Augustus’s time, a silver coin called a denarius was in use throughout the empire.
From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012
But it has taken every denarius I own, and more too.
From A Friend of Caesar A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C. by Davis, William Stearns
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
