drachma

noun

drach·​ma ˈdrak-mə How to pronounce drachma (audio)
plural drachmas or drachmai ˈdrak-ˌmī How to pronounce drachma (audio) or drachmae ˈdrak-(ˌ)mē How to pronounce drachma (audio)
-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 Greek citizens would probably try to maintain the euro as a unit of account and means of exchange, leading to parallel circulation of the drachma and the euro. Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2010 In its extreme form, this proposal also calls for the reinstatement of the drachma, because moving to the less valuable currency could restore Greece’s economic competitiveness. Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2010 The drachmas were totally useless, as Greece has been on the euro since before I was born. David Sedaris, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2023 From Greece, drachma coins reading Megas-Alexandros, or Alexander the Great, rendered in bronze. Christopher Bonanos, Town & Country, 18 Aug. 2022 Before then, the Greek drachma held its value for six centuries, the Byzantine solidus for more than seven centuries, the Arab dinar for about four centuries, and the Spanish silver dollar for about four centuries. Nathan Lewis, Forbes, 10 July 2022 What is more, the very existence of a single currency smothered the market signals that would have come from, say, a separate drachma or lira, market signals that have averted or lessened many disasters in the past. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 26 Mar. 2021 All that was needed to make this happen was to drop a five-drachma coin into a slot in the urn, just as a young lady would do at an underground station to get a box of almonds. Vladimir Nabokov, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2019 Fears about the euro flared up again in 2015 as the left-wing Syriza party took control of Greece amid rumblings about a return to the drachma. Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 29 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'drachma.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek drachmē — more at dram entry 1

First Known Use

1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of drachma was in 1525

Dictionary Entries Near drachma

Cite this Entry

“Drachma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drachma. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

drachma

noun
drach·​ma ˈdrak-mə How to pronounce drachma (audio)
plural drachmas or drachmai -ˌmī How to pronounce drachma (audio) or drachmae -(ˌ)mē How to pronounce drachma (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on drachma

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