English Explanatory Dictionary

tuppence

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Two pence (in pre- or post-decimalisation currency).
  2. Ellipsis of tuppence worth (“one’s opinion”).
  3. The vulva or vagina.

Pronunciation

/ˈtʌp(ə)ns/ En-au-tuppence.ogg

Word forms

tuppence tuppences

Etymology

By surface analysis, two + pence, collective plural of penny. Same for the definition: "Ellipsis of tuppence worth (“one’s opinion”)" however, this idiom is derived from this fact; in Britain it used to cost two pence ("tuppence") to post a letter, usually holding one's opinion.

Related words

threepence fourpence fivepence sixpence eightpence tenpence tuppenny

Derived words

don't give tuppence not worth tuppence penny plain and tuppence coloured tuppence worth
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
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