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Dictionarypenny
noun

penny

A coin worth one cent in the United States.

She drops a penny into the jar on her desk.

Etymology
pennyOld Englishpenny coin

The inherited coin name was carried into American usage as a familiar name for the one-cent coin. It retains the older term for a small monetary unit.

More examples

  • The cashier gives me one penny in change.
  • One hundred pennies add up to a dollar.
  • I found a penny under the couch.

Forms

penny · pennies

Similar words

cent
Names the monetary unit, not necessarily a physical coin.
coin
Refers to metal money of any denomination, not just pennies.