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penny
pen·ny / 5penI ; 5peni /noun C
1.
a. plural pence abbreviation 缩写为 p a small unit of money in Britain. There are 100 pence in one pound.便士〔英国货币单位，1 英镑为 100 便士〕:
•The bus fare is 80 pence.公共汽车费是 80 便士。
•a 50p piece (=coin)一枚 50 便士的硬币
•A loaf of bread costs 70p.一条面包 70 便士。
•b) plural pennies a coin worth one penny一便士硬币:
•I've only got a few pennies left.我只剩了几个一便士硬币。
2. plural pennies a coin that is worth one CENT in the US or Canada. One hundred pennies are equal to $1.〔美国或加拿大的〕一分钱硬币
3. plural pennies or pence written abbreviation 书面缩写为 d a British unit of money or coin used until 1971. There were 12 pennies in one SHILLING便士〔英国 1971 年前使用的货币单位或硬币，1 先令为 12 便士〕:
•twopence/threepence etc a book costing only sixpence只卖 6 便士的书
•fourpenny/sixpenny etc a fourpenny cigar4 便士的雪茄
•a threepenny bit (=coin)一枚 3 便士硬币
4. not a penny used to emphasize that someone has no money or that something did not cost any money一个便士也没有，一文不名; 〔某物〕不花一分钱:
•I haven't got a penny on me.我一分钱也没带。
•It didn't cost me a penny .那东西没花我一分钱。
•He died without a penny to his name .他死时一文不名。
5. every penny all of an amount of money一笔钱的全部，全部的钱:
•The hotel was expensive but it was worth every penny .那家宾馆很贵，但每分钱都花得很值。
•[+ of ] He was determined to go to Australia even if it took every penny of his savings.他下定了决心，即使是花掉所有的积蓄也要去澳大利亚。
6. every penny counts used to say that money is needed and even a small amount is important每一分钱都有用:
•Every penny counts in the battle to save the rainforests.在拯救热带雨林的战斗中，每一分钱都很重要。
7. the/your last penny the only money that is left仅剩的钱:
•She's down to her last penny .她的钱已经所剩无几了。
8. a penny for your thoughts/a penny for them spoken used to ask someone who is silent what they are thinking about你在想什么〔用于对沉默不语的人说〕
9. in for a penny, in for a pound spoken used to say that because you are already involved in something, you will complete it whatever time, money, or effort is needed一不做，二不休; 有始有终:
•Oh well, it's done now. In for a penny, in for a pound.哎呀，现在干完了，有始有终嘛。
10. the penny (has) dropped BrE informal used to say that someone has finally understood something that they had not understood before终于明白了
11. be two/ten a penny BrE to be very common and easy to get, or cheap – used to show disapproval廉价而易得; 不值钱〔含贬义〕:
•Rings like these are ten a penny.这样的戒指根本不值钱。
12. turn up like a bad penny BrE if someone you dislike turns up like a bad penny, they appear when they are not wanted〔不喜欢的人〕又来了
⇒HALFPENNY
⇒spend a penny at SPEND(5)
⇒cost a pretty penny at PRETTY² (6)

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