obol

American  

[ob-uhl] / ˈɒb əl /

noun

1. a silver coin of ancient Greece, the sixth part of a drachma.

2. obole.

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Etymology

Origin of obol

First recorded in 1660–70; see origin at obolus

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

obol

Were the Ptolemies in essence colonial occupiers and exploiters, bent on wringing the last drachma and obol from a captive land regardless of the consequences?

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

He wearied her with presents of jewellery and costly dresses, though, as he quietly remarked to Agias, the gifts meant no more of sacrifice to him than an obol to a rich spendthrift.

From A Friend of Caesar A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C. by Davis, William Stearns

You're ready, so are they: the door is open-- The price an obol: enter straight--there's No nonsense here, no cheat or trickery; But do just what you like, how you like.

From Greek Women by Carroll, Mitchell

The original payment was probably only one obol, and then from time to time increased.

From A Day in Old Athens; a Picture of Athenian Life by Davis, William Stearns

The obol referred to is the small coin placed between the lips of the dead to pay the toll to the ferryman of Hades.

From Love, Worship and Death Some Renderings from the Greek Anthology by Rodd, Rennell