THREEPENCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does threepence mean? 

• THREEPENCE (noun)
  The noun THREEPENCE has 1 sense:

1. former cupronickel coin of the United Kingdom equal to three pennies

  Familiarity information: THREEPENCE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• THREEPENCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Former cupronickel coin of the United Kingdom equal to three pennies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("threepence" is a kind of...):

coin (a flat metal piece (usually a disc) used as money)

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

 Context examples 

“Two pound four and threepence,” cried Harrison, counting out all his worldly wealth.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Oh, my lungs and liver, will you go for threepence?

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The farmer was a sad miser, and knew that his man was very simple-hearted; so he took out threepence, and gave him for every year’s service a penny.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The spot, as he described it, was about the compass of a silver threepence, but in the course of time grew larger, and changed its colour; for at twelve years old it became green, so continued till five and twenty, then turned to a deep blue: at five and forty it grew coal black, and as large as an English shilling; but never admitted any further alteration.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

But at an expense of threepence I soon refreshed myself completely; and, being in better spirits then, limped seven miles upon my road.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

“Full threepence,” replied the countryman.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Accordingly we looked in at a baker's window, and after I had made a series of proposals to buy everything that was bilious in the shop, and he had rejected them one by one, we decided in favour of a nice little loaf of brown bread, which cost me threepence.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)