yen

¹ American  

[yen] / yɛn /

noun

plural

yen

1. an aluminum coin and monetary unit of Japan, equal to 100 sen or 1000 rin. ¥; Y

2. a former silver coin of Japan.

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yen ² American  

[yen] / yɛn /

noun

1. a desire or craving.

   I had a yen for apple pie.

   Synonyms:

   appetite, hunger, hankering, longing

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verb (used without object)

yenned, yenning

1. to have a craving; yearn.

yen ¹ British  

/ jɛn /

noun

1. a passionate, ardent, or intense longing or desire

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verb

1. (intr) to yearn

yen ² British  

/ jɛn /

noun

1. the standard monetary unit of Japan, (notionally) divided into 100 sen

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yen Idioms  

1. see have a yen for.

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Usage

What does yen mean? Yen is a monetary unit of Japan similar to a dollar. It comes in the form of a coin that’s also called a yen.The symbol for yen is ¥. Like a dollar, it can be divided into 100 parts called sen (though sen are not used in practice).The plural of yen is yen.Unrelatedly, yen is a slang term meaning a strong craving, desire, or yearning. It’s especially used in the phrase have a yen for. It can also be used as a verb meaning to crave or strongly desire.Example: Ever since I came back from Italy, I’ve had a yen for fresh pasta.

Etymology

Origin of yen¹

1870–75; < Japanese ( y ) en < Chinese yuán yuan

Origin of yen²

1905–10, probably < dialectal Chinese (OAGuangdong) yáhn, akin to Chinese yǐn craving, addiction

Example Sentences

Since the yen is currently weaker than that, profit expectations could be revised upward if the currency remains near current levels.

From The Wall Street Journal

The yen held steady against the dollar as traders watched for confirmation of Bank of Japan intervention.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda joined a growing chorus of officials pledging to monitor the yen closely, as the Middle East conflict continues to pressure the currency and stoke inflation concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal

Japan’s top currency diplomat Atsushi Mimura warned of “decisive action” against speculative moves driving the yen’s decline near 160 to the dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Against the weak yen, many of them can be relatively affordable.

From The Wall Street Journal