threepenny

[ thrip-uh-nee, threp-, thruhp-; three-pen-ee ]

adjective
  1. of the amount or value of threepence.

  2. of little worth.

Origin of threepenny

1
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at three, penny

Words Nearby threepenny

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use threepenny in a sentence

  • Jo managed to get next to the driver and extracted a deal of information at the expense of a threepenny tip.

    The Four Corners Abroad | Amy Ella Blanchard
  • He was a good-natured and honest man, though he did take bribes--from a threepenny bit up to a crown piece inclusive.

    A Sportsman's Sketches | Ivan Turgenev
  • He does about three shillings' worth of labour for a bed whose only virtue is cleanliness, and about threepenny worth of food.

    Beggars | W. H. (William Henry) Davies
  • Egad, I was born under a threepenny planet, never to be worth a groat.

    Swift | Leslie Stephen
  • I then asked for a threepenny loaf, and was told they had none.