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 exportation of unmanufactured brass, of what is called gun-metal, bell-metal, and shroff metal, still continues to be prohibited.

From An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

Gandy never had dealings with a shroff in his life.

From The Story of the Gadsbys by Rudyard Kipling

Gaddy never had dealings with a shroff in his life.

From Soldiers Three by Rudyard Kipling

The shroff should learn things from the beginning, and taking charge of the bales and boxes in the warehouses, counting them, distributing their contents, was part of the business.

From Civilization Tales of the Orient by Ellen Newbold La Motte

"Clean-sweep!" said the shroff, in his mission-school English.

From Civilization Tales of the Orient by Ellen Newbold La Motte

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