a copper and zinc U.S. coin, worth one 100th of the U.S. dollar; one cent. Previous compositions of U.S. pennies included certain percentages of nickel and steel.
a coin worth one 100th of the dollar of various other nations, although several of these nations, as Australia and New Zealand, no longer use pennies.
Also called new penny. a copper-plated steel, formerly bronze, coin of the United Kingdom, one 100th of a pound. p
a former bronze coin and monetary unit of the United Kingdom and various other nations, one 12th of a shilling: use phased out in 1971. d.
a sum of money.
He spent every penny he ever earned.
the length of a nail in terms of certain standard designations, as eightpenny and sixtypenny.
spend a penny, to urinate.
turn an honest penny, to earn one's living honestly; make money by fair means.
He's never turned an honest penny in his life.
a pretty penny, a considerable sum of money.
Their car must have cost them a pretty penny.
a bad penny, someone or something undesirable.
Also called (formerly): new penny. p. (in Britain) a bronze coin having a value equal to one hundredth of a pound
d. (in Britain before 1971) a bronze or copper coin having a value equal to one twelfth of a shilling or one two-hundred-and-fortieth of a pound
a former monetary unit of the Republic of Ireland worth one hundredth of a pound
(in the US and Canada) a cent
a coin of similar value, as used in several other countries
informal (used with a negative) the least amount of money
I don't have a penny
informal an objectionable person or thing (esp in the phrase turn up like a bad penny )
informal a considerable sum of money
informal to urinate
informal the explanation of something was finally realized
plentiful but of little value
First recorded before 900; Middle English peni, Old English penig, pænig, pen(n)ning, pending, cognate with Old Frisian penning, panning, Old Saxon, Dutch penning, Old High German pfenning, phantinc, phenting ( German Pfennig ), Old Norse penningr (perhaps from Old English ); from unattested West Germanic or Germanic pandingaz, probably equivalent to unattested pand- + unattested -ingaz; see -ing 3. The origin of spend a penny is from the former cost of using a public lavatory
It takes a hundred pennies to make a dollar. Even though it doesn't have a heck of a lot of value, a penny may bring you luck if you pick it up (as the saying goes). In the US, a penny is a one-cent, copper-colored coin, which features Abraham Lincoln's profile on one side. Many countries' currencies include pennies as the very smallest unit of money, including Canada, Britain, and South Africa. While the plural form of penny is pence in the UK, and it's often abbreviated as p there, in North America the plural is commonly pennies — and sometimes cents.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Drilling every last drop will not take a penny off bills," he argued in a speech on 21 April, adding that it "cannot give us energy security" either.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
Due in part to these unusual countervailing forces, the trading pattern of SpaceX shares has resembled that of a penny stock on the pink sheets.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026
She writes the dates on them and displays them in penny passports.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
Adjusted earnings of $2.63 a share was a penny worse than Wall Street expected, while revenue of $2.46 billion was up 1.9% from last year but also a penny less than expected.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
Then I hurled it as far as I could and made my wish quick before that penny hit the road and bounced into the woods.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
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.
