The basic unit of currency used in ancient Greece, and later the official money of modern Greece from 2002 back to the drachma's replacement by the euro.
From Greek drakhmē, originally meaning a handful or a fistful—the amount of grain or other goods that could be held in one hand. It evolved from a weight measurement into a standardized coin and monetary unit used throughout the Greek world.
The drachma symbol (₯) and the ancient coins are so iconic that Greeks still feel nostalgic about their 'real' currency decades after switching to the euro—it's as if the word itself carries the weight of national identity and thousands of years of Mediterranean history!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.