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.

---

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

---

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

From Dragon's blood by Henry Milner Rideout

Gandy never had dealings with a shroff in his life.

From The Story of the Gadsbys by Rudyard Kipling

I can borrow it again from the shroff, just for the present.

From Captain Desmond, V.C. by Maud Diver

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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---