drachma

[drak-muh, drahk-]

noun

plural

drachmas, drachmae 

1. a cupronickel coin and monetary unit of modern Greece until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 lepta. dr., drch.

2. the principal silver coin of ancient Greece.

3. a small unit of weight in ancient Greece, approximately equivalent to the U.S. and British apothecaries' dram.

4. any of various modern weights, especially a dram.

drachma

/ ˈdrækmə /

noun

1. the former standard monetary unit of Greece, divided into 100 lepta; replaced by the euro in 2002

2. another name for dram

3. a silver coin of ancient Greece

4. a unit of weight in ancient Greece

Other Word Forms

• drachmal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of drachma¹

1520–30; < Latin < Greek drachmḗ, probably equivalent to drach- base of drássesthai to grasp + -mē noun suffix (hence literally, handful)

Word History and Origins

Origin of drachma¹

C16: from Latin, from Greek drakhmē a handful, from drassesthai to seize

Example Sentences

She found herself surrounded by a knee-high mound of treasure—Roman denarii, silver drachmas, ancient gold jewelry, glittering diamonds and topaz and rubies—enough to fill several lawn bags.

From Literature

Zeno was a merchant who lost all of his goods in a shipwreck and arrived in Athens with a few drachmas in his pockets.

From Salon

But Mark Antony’s stirring rhetoric, and his promise of a Caesar dividend, “75 drachmas”, immediately turn their allegiance.

From The Guardian

Women - who often spoke no Greek - would cover their mouths with their headscarves to muffle their speech, but Mr Fokas's mother was arrested and fined 250 drachmas, a big sum back then.

From BBC

Still, Greece craved Europe’s political and financial stability, having struggled with its erratic drachma currency and with political instability.

From Washington Times