threepence

American  

[thrip-uhns, threp-, thruhp-, three-pens] / ˈθrɪp əns, ˈθrɛp-, ˈθrʌp-, ˈθriˌpɛns /

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb) a sum of three pennies.

2. a former cupronickel coin of the United Kingdom, a quarter of a shilling, equal to three pennies: use phased out after decimalization in 1971.

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Etymology

Origin of threepence

First recorded in 1580–90; three + pence

Example Sentences

I’ve long been fascinated by the Tom Phillips project A Humument, which began in 1966 when he bought an obscure Victorian novel for threepence in a junk shop and began painting on the pages.

From The Guardian • Aug. 14, 2019

More important, the Sugar Act of 1764 reduced the duty on foreign molasses to an affordable threepence a gallon and tightened collection procedures.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018

By contrast, an unskilled tunneller's mate received two shillings and tuppence, while the infantryman in the trenches pocketed a meagre one shilling and threepence.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2016

On Wednesday, too, railway fares increased twopence to threepence on the shilling.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bono went to see the latter corpse, paying threepence.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson