shilling

American  

[shil-ing] / ˈʃɪl ɪŋ /

noun

• shillings
  plural

1. a cupronickel coin and former monetary unit of the United Kingdom, the 20th part of a pound, equal to 12 pence: retained in circulation equal to 5 new pence after decimalization in 1971. s.

2. a former monetary unit of various other nations, as Australia, Fiji, Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, and Nigeria, equal to one twentieth of a pound or 12 pence.

3. the monetary unit of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda, equal to 100 cents.

4. any of various coins and moneys of account used in various parts of the U.S. in the 18th and 19th centuries.

5. shilling mark.

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shilling British  

/ ˈʃɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. Abbreviation: s, sh. a former British and Australian silver or cupronickel coin worth one twentieth of a pound: not minted in Britain since 1970

2. the standard monetary unit of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda: divided into 100 cents

3. an old monetary unit of the US varying in value in different states

4. /-. (in combination) an indication of the strength and character of a beer, referring to the price after duty that was formerly paid per barrel

   sixty-shilling

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shilling Idioms  

1. see cut off (with a shilling).

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shillings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shilling

before 900; Middle English; Old English scilling; cognate with Dutch schelling, German Schilling, Old Norse skillingr, Gothic skillings

Explanation

A shilling is an old British coin, roughly equal to a nickel. Twenty shillings were equal to one pound. The shilling isn't used any more in Great Britain, although other countries, like Uganda and Kenya, still use shillings. It was a small silver colored coin with a small value, similar to the nickel in the United States, that was used from the 1500's until Britain decimalised its currency in 1971 and stopped making shillings. The popular nickname for a shilling was a "bob."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shilling shillings

As long as they’re employed by NASA, they won’t be shilling for Nutella.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

And when you remember that those words, and all those other businesses shilling the same fantasy, are coming from billionaires who experience that reality every day, it’s insulting, isn't it?

From Salon ● May 7, 2025

But like many writers, I cover the bulk of my bills by shilling for a big corporation.

From Slate ● Mar. 11, 2024

The second phase was professional creators — those who set out to make a living shilling products.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2023

We can barely afford it but Frankie could earn a shilling or two and John could rest his poor legs.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

There were 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound before decimalisation in 1971.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

One offering, priced at five shillings per share, is the New Cabbage and Potatoe Co., “no cooking required.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Understanding the difficulty, his relative, the Eze Igwe - the traditional king of Oguta - allowed him to pay four shillings instead of providing a leopard.

From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2025

Mr. Laizer sold his pieces for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings – about $3.35 million, which the government paid with a huge check.

From NewsForKids.net ● Mar. 18, 2024

The loss of the eight pounds, ten shillings, and one penny per month that I earned at Sidelsky was devastating.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela