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

See Examples For:

shroff

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

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

From Dragon's blood by Rideout, Henry Milner

I shall by and by be rich as a shroff, that is sure.

From Barclay of the Guides by Strang, Herbert

Gaddy never had dealings with a shroff in his life.

From Soldiers Three by Kipling, Rudyard

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