Fourpence

/ˈfɔːrˌpɛns/ noun

Definition

A British coin or sum of money worth four pennies, used historically before modern currency decimalization.

Etymology

From Middle English, literally combining 'four' and 'pence' to create a compound for the monetary value. In pre-decimal Britain, fourpence was an actual coin and standard monetary unit used in commerce and trade.

Kelly Says

Before Britain switched to decimal currency in 1971, fourpence was genuinely confusing because there were also farthings (quarter-penny), threepence, and sixpence, all with their own coins—children had to memorize that 12 pence made a shilling and 20 shillings made a pound, making math class incredibly complicated.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.