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”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shroff

The Red Wand stood by the abacus, rattling the brown beads with flying fingers, like a shroff.

From Dragon's blood by Henry Milner Rideout

The shroff was very fearful, but as he was to be compradore now, to do the work of a European, he could not show fear.

From Civilization Tales of the Orient by Ellen Newbold La Motte

Gaddy never had dealings with a shroff in his life.

From Soldiers Three by Rudyard Kipling

Withers and the shroff caught the first train out for Peking, and arriving in two hours, made hasty preparations for their journey.

From Civilization Tales of the Orient by Ellen Newbold La Motte

This table is covered with a fine grass mat and surrounded on three sides with benches for the players, while on the fourth side sit the croupier and the banker or shroff.

From Life and sport in China Second Edition by Oliver George Ready

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