penny

Everyday

1. A penny is a coin. In the US and Canada a penny is 1 cent; in Britain a penny is 1p and 100 pence make 1 pound. tree →
2. «Not a penny» means no money at all. tree →
3. «The penny dropped» means someone finally understood. tree →

In the lessons

In maths: a coin of small value; counting coins and their value; changing pennies to dollars or pence to pounds. In everyday life: saving pennies in a piggy bank. In stories and sayings: «a penny for your thoughts», «in for a penny, in for a pound», «a penny saved is a penny earned».

Examples

• He has 25 pennies. tree →
• How many pennies make a dime? tree →
• She saved 50 pennies. tree →
• Each sweet costs 5 pence. tree →
• A hundred pennies make one dollar. tree →
• He didn't have a penny left. tree →
• After a minute, the penny dropped and she laughed. tree →
• A penny for your thoughts? tree →
• But I have only fifty pennies. tree →

Note

One penny = 1 cent; 100 pennies = 1 dollar. Plural «pennies» counts coins; «pence» is the British amount. Trap: change pennies to dollars by dividing by 100. 10 pennies = 1 dime; 5 pennies = 1 nickel. In Ireland and Australia, the old penny is no longer used (euro cents and Australian cents). Canada no longer makes pennies, so prices are rounded to 5 cents when paying cash.