drachma

American  

[drak-muh, drahk-] / ˈdræk mə, ˈdrɑk- /

noun

• drachmas,
  plural
• drachmae
  plural

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.

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drachma British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• drachmal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• drachmae
  plural
• drachmas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of drachma

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

Explanation

In Greece, the drachma was once the national currency. The Greek drachma was replaced by the euro in 2002. The drachma has a long history in Greece, going all the way back to 800 BC. The word derives from a Greek root meaning "to grasp" or "a handful," and the ancient drachma was originally a handful or fistfull of metal sticks used to buy and trade. The modern version of this currency was a variety of metal coins in various denominations. The drachma was retired officially in 2002 and replaced with the euro.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

drachma drachmae drachmas

The word evolved to drachma, the name of Greece’s currency before the euro.

From Economist ● Dec. 13, 2017

The Greeks were mining for silver to make their beautiful drachma coins.

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2015

"But there are reasons to think that reintroduction of the drachma and devaluation would do less for Greece than devaluation did for Argentina. Greece is less open, it exports less," he said.

From Reuters ● Jul. 22, 2015

You can’t devalue the drachma to the point that gasoline production, or olive oil and cheese production, would generate sufficient earnings for Greek workers to pay for cars and computers.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 13, 2015

“Mom—” “Your ambrosia and nectar, Percy? And a golden drachma in case you need to contact camp?”

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan

I'd say, 'I need 20 million drachmae by next Wednesday.'

From Time Magazine Archive

He thus obtained a money value down in return for his property, but bound himself and his descendants to an annual rent of so many drachmae, to form part of the revenues of the god.

From On The Structure of Greek Tribal Society: An Essay by Hugh E. (Hugh Exton) Seebohm

During the archonship of Euthymenes, you sent us to the Great King on a salary of two drachmae per diem.

From The Eleven Comedies, Volume 1 by Aristophanes

Or else the bes is divided into sixteen semunciae, of which each is divided into four drachmae, and each drachma into four pfennige.

From De Re Metallica, Translated from the First Latin Edition of 1556 by Georgius Agricola

Tremble, knave; I will convict you of having stolen thirty thousand drachmae.

From The Eleven Comedies, Volume 1 by Aristophanes

Shylock, a comic villain as well as a suffering father, wept copiously after his daughter ran away from home with suitcases full of jewels and drachmas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2016

His high-end wines, gathered from vineyards that stretch across his country’s verdant hills, would be more competitive abroad if his costs at home were in weak drachmas.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 2, 2015

Foreign businesses with operations in Greece have been demanding payment up front from local customers, lest they later have to accept devalued drachmas.

From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2012

So if you are a local producer, you just get a whole lot more drachmas for your product, but you are paying your workers less.

From Economist ● May 17, 2012

I took out a fistful of drachmas and let the coins spill through my fingers.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan