drachma

noun

drach·​ma ˈdrak-mə 

plural drachmas or drachmai ˈdrak-ˌmī  or drachmae ˈdrak-(ˌ)mē 

-ˌmī

1

a

: any of various ancient Greek units of weight

b

: any of various modern units of weight

especially : dram entry 1 sense 1a

2

a

: 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

This habit, however, seems to have eroded as life went on; towards the end of his life, Alexander is reported to have spent as much as 10,000 drachmas on a single meal. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026

The party publicly advocates departure from the euro and a return to the drachma, along with a possible departure from the EU. — George Tsebelis, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2015

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek drachmē — more at dram entry 1

First Known Use

1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

drachma

noun

drach·​ma ˈdrak-mə 

plural drachmas or drachmai -ˌmī  or drachmae -(ˌ)mē 

-ˌmī

1

: any of various ancient Greek units of weight

2

a

: an ancient Greek silver coin

b

: the former basic unit of money of Greece

also : a coin representing this unit