groat
nounEtymology Possibly from Middle Dutch groot, the Old French gros Tournois (“a coin of Tours”), gros being from Medieval Latin denarius grossus (“large coin”). Related to German Groschen.
1
Archaic, Historical Any of various old coins of England and Scotland.
- The Widdow that hath but a pan of braſſe, And ſcarſe a houſe to hide her head, Sometimes no penny to buy her bread, Muſt pay her Landlord many a groat, Or twil be puld out of her throat:1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act I:
2
Archaic, Historical Any unit of currency worth four pence.
3
Archaic, Historical A historical English coin representing such a unit: a silver coin worth four English pennies, still minted as one of the set of Maundy coins.
- The needy groom, that never finger'd groat, Would make a miracle of thus much coin …c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:
4
A proverbial small sum; a whit or jot.
- Derived terms
- groatless, groatsworth, shovegroat, slidegroat