plural adhio
: a large coin that has a circular hole in its center and that was minted for use in the Indian state of Kutch from 1943 to 1946

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Kachchhi (Indo-Aryan speech of Kutch) ādhio "half of a kori," cognate with Sindhi ādhio "half of a split date, half a rupee," derivative of ādho "half," going back to *ārdhiya-, derivative of Sanskrit ārdha-, variant, in compounds, of ardhaḥ "part, side, half"; akin to Avestan arəƍa- "half," both from an Indo-Iranian etymon probably going back to an Indo-European base h1erdh-, whence Lithuanian ardyti "to pull down, dismantle, demolish," erdvus "spacious, roomy, loose," erdvė "space"

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of adhio was in 1990

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near adhio

Cite this Entry

“Adhio.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adhio. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!