penny

noun

1. 便士（英国的小硬币和货币单位，1英镑为100便士）
   a small British coin and unit of money. There are 100 pence in one pound (£1).
   1. He had a few pennies in his pocket.
      他口袋里有几个便士的硬币。
   2. That will be 45 pence, please.
      一共是45便士。
   3. They cost 20p each.
      这些东西每个要20便士。
2. 便士（英国1971年前使用的硬币，十二便士为一先令）
   a British coin in use until 1971. There were twelve pennies in one shilling .
3. 分
   a cent

The form pence is used for the plural of meaning 1. 义项1的复数形式用pence。


1. N-COUNT （英国）便士（指币值或硬币）
   In Britain, a penny is one hundredth of a pound, or a coin worth this amount of money.
   1. Cider also goes up by a penny a pint while sparkling wine will cost another eight pence a bottle.
      苹果酒每品脱也涨了1便士，而汽酒则每瓶涨了8便士。
   2. ...a shiny newly minted penny.
      新铸造的锃亮的1便士硬币
2. 便士（英国1971年前使用的硬币，价值1/12先令）
   A penny is a British coin used before 1971 that was worth one twelfth of a shilling.
3. N-COUNT 分（指币值或硬币）
   A penny is one cent, or a coin worth one cent.
   1. Unleaded gasoline rose more than a penny a gallon.
      无铅汽油每加仑涨了1分多。
4. N-SING 一个子儿；分文
   If you say, for example, that you do not have a penny, or that something does not cost a penny, you are emphasizing that you do not have any money at all, or that something did not cost you any money at all.
   1. From the day you arrive at my house, you need not spend a single penny...
      从你到我家那天起，你就一个子儿也不用花。
   2. The Brilliantons paid their rent on time and did not owe him a penny...
      布里连顿夫妇按时交纳租金，一个子儿也不欠他的。
   3. I asked her if he had given her any money. 'Not a penny.'
      我问她他有没有给过她钱。“一个子儿都没有。”

Pennies usually refers to a number of individual coins. He took two pennies out of his pocket. You use pence or p when you are talking about a sum of money. It only cost fifty pence… Admission for children is 50p.
pennies 通常指几枚硬币：He took two pennies out of his pocket（他从口袋里掏出两枚硬币）。表示金额时用pence或p：It only cost fifty pence（只花了50便士），Admission for children is 50p（儿童票价为50便士）。

5. PHRASE 恍然大悟；茅塞顿开；突然回过神来
   If you say the penny dropped, you mean that someone suddenly understood or realized something.
   1. 'Did he know who you are?' — 'I think so. I think the penny dropped.'
      “他知道你是谁吗？”——“我想是的。我觉得他是突然想到的。”
6. 上厕所；方便
   If someone says that they are going to spend a penny, they mean that they are going to go to the toilet.
7. PHRASE 不值钱；不稀奇
   Things that are said to be two a penny or ten a penny are not valuable or interesting because they are very common and easy to find.
   1. Leggy blondes are two a penny in Hollywood.
      在好莱坞，长腿金发美女遍地都是。

in AM, use 美国英语用 a dime a dozen


8. PHRASE 物有所值；一分钱不白花
   If you say that something or someone is worth every penny, you mean that they are worth all the money that is spent on them.
   1. The operation cost £100,000 and it was worth every penny...
      那次手术花了10万英镑，但是花得非常值。
   2. The directors of this company feel he's worth every penny.
      这家公司的主管们觉得他值得栽培。

1. I wrote my name after Penny's.
   我把自己的名字写在彭尼的下面。
2. Penny's only son was the apple of her eye.
   彭妮的独子是她的心肝宝贝。
3. It can no doubt be fairly argued that Sir John, whose pay is linked to performance, is entitled to every penny
   毋庸置疑，既然约翰爵士的薪水是与业绩挂钩的，他的每一分钱都是理所应得的。
4. Gary clutched a penny in his fist.
   加里将一枚便士攥在手中。
5. Penny tended to work through her lunch hour in an effort to keep up with her work
   为了把活儿干完，彭妮常常午饭时间也要工作。
6. I'd spent all I had, every last penny
   我把钱全部花光了，一分不剩。
7. Cider also goes up by a penny a pint while sparkling wine will cost another eight pence a bottle.
   苹果酒每品脱也涨了1便士，而汽酒则每瓶涨了8便士。
8. Unleaded gasoline rose more than a penny a gallon.
   无铅汽油每加仑涨了1分多。
9. From the day you arrive at my house, you need not spend a single penny
   从你到我家那天起，你就一个子儿也不用花。
10. The Brilliantons paid their rent on time and did not owe him a penny
    布里连顿夫妇按时交纳租金，一个子儿也不欠他的。
11. I asked her if he had given her any money. 'Not a penny.'
    我问她他有没有给过她钱。“一个子儿都没有。”
12. 'Did he know who you are?' — 'I think so. I think the penny dropped.'
    “他知道你是谁吗？”——“我想是的。我觉得他是突然想到的。”
13. Leggy blondes are two a penny in Hollywood.
    在好莱坞，长腿金发美女遍地都是。
14. The operation cost £ 100,000 and it was worth every penny
    那次手术花了10万英镑，但是花得非常值。
15. The directors of this company feel he's worth every penny.
    这家公司的主管们觉得他值得栽培。
16. Unhappily for Berkowitz, he never got a penny.
    可惜伯科威茨从来没得到过一分钱。
17. Penny never got uptight about exams
    彭妮从来不会因为考试而紧张。
18. The large sum of money that came to him when she died was a shock, and he had not spent a penny of it on himself. He had, however, willed it to Frank.
    她去世时他继承的那一大笔钱数额惊人，但他在自己身上未花分文，而是将其遗赠给了弗兰克。
19. He tossed a penny to the beggar.
    他丢给乞丐一便士。
20. He paid all his debts to the last penny.
    他还清了全部债务，分文不欠。
21. Not a penny is left.
    钱用得精光。
22. She was left without a penny.
    她已到了贫困潦倒的地步。
23. "oh dear, I haven't got any money left this month."& "join the club! we've spent our last penny, too."
    “我的天，我这个月的钱都花光了。”&“我们也是如此，现在身上连一个子儿也没了。”
24. He didn't make a single penny.
    他一分钱也没捞着。
25. Don't owe anybody a penny.
    不要欠任何人钱。
26. We've squared up and do not owe each other a penny.
    谁也不欠谁，咱们两清了。
27. Each clubs his Penny toward the purchase.
    为买这件东西，每个人凑了一点儿钱。
28. Have you seen penny's new fancy man? he's young enough to be her son!
    你看见过彭尼的新情夫了吗？他很年轻，足以做她的儿子！
29. Jim's uncle cut him off without a penny.
    吉姆的叔叔没有留给他一文钱。

n.

every penny

• 所有的钱；每一分钱
  all of the money
  1. We collected £700 and every penny went to charity.
     我们募集了700英镑，悉数捐给了慈善事业。

in for a penny, in for a pound

• 一不做，二不休；有始有终
  used to say that since you have started to do sth, it is worth spending as much time or money as you need to in order to complete it

not a penny

• 分文没有；根本不用钱
  no money at all
  1. It didn't cost a penny.
     那东西没花一分钱。

the penny drops

• 恍然大悟；终于明白；茅塞顿开
  used to say that sb has finally understood or realized sth that they had not understood or realized before

a penny for your thoughts

a penny for them

• （用于询问别人想什么）你在呆呆地寻思什么呢
  used to ask sb what they are thinking about

turn up like a bad penny

• （不愿碰上的）却总出现；冤家路窄
  to appear when they are not welcome or not wanted, especially when this happens regularly

two/ten a penny

• 普通得不值钱；（因常见而）价值低
  very common and therefore not valuable

pinch pennies

• 一毛不拔；吝啬
  to try to spend as little money as possible

a pretty penny

• 很多钱；一大笔钱
  a lot of money

spend a penny

• （委婉说法，与use the toilet同义）解手，方便
  people say ‘spend a penny’ to avoid saying ‘use the toilet’

noun

1. a coin worth one-hundredth of the value of the basic unit

   Synonym:    centcentime

2. a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom