pfennig

[ fen-ig; German pfen-ikh ]

/ ˈfɛn ɪg; German ˈpfɛn ɪx /

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noun, plural pfen·nigs, pfen·ni·ge

[German pfen-i-guh]. /German ˈpfɛn ɪ gə/.

a copper-coated iron coin and monetary unit of Germany until the euro was adopted, one 100th of a Deutsche mark.

(formerly) a minor coin and monetary unit of East Germany, one 100th of an ostmark.

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showing self-respect

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acting selfishly

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Origin of pfennig

First recorded in 1540–50; from German: penny

Words nearby pfennig

Pfc., PFD, Pfeiffer's bacillus, Pfeiffer syndrome, pfenig, pfennig, pfft, pfg., PFI, Pfitzner, Pflüger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use pfennig in a sentence

Pfennig, pfen′ig, n. a German copper coin, the hundredth part of a mark.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
These fellows beg usually within very small districts, and know every house that is "good" for a meal or a pfennig.
Tramping with Tramps|Josiah Flynt
And patting the child on the head, Dr. Sanders gave her a ten-pfennig piece, and asked her who had taught her the poem.
Behind the Scenes in Warring Germany|Edward Lyell Fox
They belong to the state, Otto, and if they should be shared with every one in Germany not one man would be a pfennig the better.
Walking Shadows|Alfred Noyes

Briquettes are largely used in cities, small slabs of condensed coal that cost one pfennig each.
Home Life in Germany|Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick

British Dictionary definitions for pfennig

pfennig

/ (ˈfɛnɪɡ, German ˈpfɛnɪç ) /

noun plural -nigs or -nige (German -nɪɡə )

a former German monetary unit worth one hundredth of a Deutschmark

(formerly) a monetary unit worth one hundredth of an East German ostmark

Word Origin for pfennig

German: penny

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012