shroff

American  

[shrof] / ʃrɒf /

noun

1. (in India) a banker or moneychanger.

2. (in East Asia, especially China) a local expert employed to test the purity of a coin’s metal content, especially silver or gold.

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verb (used with object)

1. to test (coins) to ascertain the purity of the metal content, especially silver or gold.

shroff British  

/ ʃrɒf /

noun

1. (in China, Japan, etc, esp formerly) an expert employed to separate counterfeit money or base coin from the genuine

2. (in India) a moneychanger or banker

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verb

1. (tr) to test (money) and separate out the counterfeit and base

Etymology

Origin of shroff

First recorded in 1610–20; earlier sharoffe from Portuguese xarrafo, probably from Gujarati śaraf, from Arabic ṣayrāfī “moneychanger”

Example Sentences

And whenever Hersey needs an idea and can't find one�it happens all the time�he uses a big word instead: cangue, coffle, fulvous, hame, jingal, liripipe, m�tayer, panyar, purlin, psora, shroff, sycee.*

From Time Magazine Archive

The Julamerik shroff sent word that the English sovereign is selling at 16s. only.

From Journeys in Persia and Kurdistan, Volume II (of 2) Including a Summer in the Upper Karun Region and a Visit to the Nestorian Rayahs by Bird, Isabella L. (Isabella Lucy)

The shroff was clicking on his abacus, and left off snicking the beads up and down to remark casually that the compradore had gone.

From Civilization Tales of the Orient by La Motte, Ellen Newbold

So Withers and the shroff continued their desolate journey, day by day, across the plains, over such roads as are not, save in North China.

From Civilization Tales of the Orient by La Motte, Ellen Newbold

The slayer hid his knife; The robber laid his plunder back; the shroff Counted full tale of coins; all evil hearts Grew gentle, kind hearts gentler, as the balm Of that divinest Daybreak lightened Earth.

From The Light of Asia by Arnold, Edwin, Sir