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drachma

noun
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drach·​ma | \ ˈdrak-mə How to pronounce drachma (audio) \
plural drachmas or drachmai\ ˈdrak-​ˌmī How to pronounce drachmai (audio) \ or drachmae\ ˈdrak-​(ˌ)mē How to pronounce drachmae (audio) , -​ˌmī \

Definition of drachma

1a : any of various ancient Greek units of weight
b : any of various modern units of weight especially : dram entry 1 sense 1a
2a : an ancient Greek silver coin equivalent to six obols
b : the basic monetary unit of Greece from circa 1831 to 2001

Examples of drachma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web All that was needed to make this happen was to drop a five-drachma coin into a slot in the urn, just as a young lady would do at an underground station to get a box of almonds. — Vladimir Nabokov, The New Yorker, "Man and Things," 8 Nov. 2019 Fears about the euro flared up again in 2015 as the left-wing Syriza party took control of Greece amid rumblings about a return to the drachma. — Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, "Italy and the Euro Crisis: How We Got Here," 29 May 2018 Would Greece leave the euro and return to the drachma? — A.e. Stallings, WSJ, "Athens Today and Yesterday," 28 July 2017 Thanks to the debt crisis, some Greek officials are contemplating dumping the common currency for the drachma. — David Wolman, WIRED, "Dream of Universal Currency Just Won’t Die," 27 Dec. 2011

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drachma.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of drachma

1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for drachma

Latin, from Greek drachmē — more at dram entry 1

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Time Traveler for drachma

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The first known use of drachma was in 1525

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Cite this Entry

“Drachma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drachma. Accessed 21 Feb. 2020.

More from Merriam-Webster on drachma

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about drachma

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