English Explanatory Dictionary

yen

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The unit of Japanese currency (symbol: ¥) since 1871, divided into 100 sen.
  2. A coin or note worth one yen.
noun
  1. A strong desire, urge, or yearning.
verb
  1. To have a strong desire for.
noun
  1. Opium.
name
  1. Alternative form of Yan (ancient kingdom)

Pronunciation

/jɛn/ en-au-yen.ogg

Word forms

yen yens yenning yenned

Etymology

From Medhurst and Hepburn’s romanizations, under the influence of earlier Portuguese romanizations, of Japanese 圓(えん) (en, “round; a round object”) as ye or yen, now 円(えん) (en), from Chinese 銀圓 /银圆 (yínyuán, “round silver object(s), especially a piece of eight”): 銀 /银 (yín, “silver”) + 圓 /圆 (yuán, “circular, round; yuan, yen, dollar”). Cognate with Chinese 元 (yuán, “monetary unit, especially RMB”) and Korean 원 (won, “North or South Korean won”). Doublet of won and yuan.

Synonyms

JPY craving desire hankering jones longing urge yearning aunti/aunti Emma big O chandu Chinese tobacco dopium dream gun dream stick fi-do-nie gee God's medicine gondola goric guma hop/hops meconium midnight oil mud ope pen yan pin gon pox skee toxy when-shee yen ze zero

Derived words

yen-hok yen hop yen pok yen she yen shee yen siang yen sleep
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