pence

UK: /ˈpɛns/ US: /pɛns/ ,(pens)

From penny (n):

pennies

npl (Used to talk about penny coins––e.g. "I have three pennies in my purse.")

pence

npl (UK: Used to talk about money––e.g. "That costs fifty pence.")

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pence /pɛns/   n. [plural]

1. Philosophy, British Terms [Brit.] (used after a number in referring to a sum of money, rather than to the coins themselves) pl. of penny:
   sixpence.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pence  (pens), n. [Brit.]

1. Philosophy, British Terms a pl. of penny;
    used in referring to a sum of money rather than to the coins themselves (often used in combination):
   sixpence; The fare was 15 pence.

• Middle English pens, pans 1275–1325

pence′less, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

pence / pɛns/ noun

1. a plural of penny

USAGE
Since the decimalization of British currency and the introduction of the abbreviation p, as in 10p, 85p, etc, the abbreviation has tended to replace pence in speech, as in 4p / ˌfɔːˈpiː/, 12p / ˌtwɛlvˈpiː/, etc

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pen•ny /ˈpɛni/   n., [countable] pl. pen•nies, (esp. when thought of as a group for 2, 3. 11. in Unabridged dictionary) pence. 

1. Currency a unit of money of different nations, as Australia, Canada, and the U.S., a coin equal to 1&sfracdenom;100&sfracend; of a dollar;
   one cent.
2. Currency Also called new penny. a unit of money of the United Kingdom, a coin equal to 1&sfracdenom;100&sfracend; of a pound.
3. Currency a unit of money equal to 1&sfracdenom;240&sfracend; of the former British pound or to 1&sfracdenom;12&sfracend; of the former British shilling.
4. Currency a unit of money of Ireland, equal to 1&sfracdenom;100&sfracend; of the Irish pound.
5. a sum of money: [every + ~]
   to spend every penny to send his kids to college (= to spend all of one's money).
   [with a negative word or phrase] :
   He hasn't got a penny to his name (= He has no money).

Idioms

6. Idioms a bad penny, someone or something undesirable.
7. a penny for your thoughts, (used to ask the listener what he or she is thinking about):
   "A penny for your thoughts?''— "Oh, I was thinking of the last time we were in Paris.''
8. Idioms, Informal Terms a pretty penny, a great sum of money:
   spent a pretty penny fixing up their house.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pen•ny  (pen′ē), n., pl. pen•nies, (esp. collectively for 2, 3) pence, adj. 
n. 

1. Currency a bronze coin, the 100th part of the dollars of various nations, as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States;
   one cent.
2. Currency Also called new penny. a bronze coin and monetary unit of the United Kingdom and various other nations, the 100th part of a pound. Abbr.: p
3. Currency a former bronze coin and monetary unit of the United Kingdom and various other nations, the 12th part of a shilling: use phased out in 1971. Abbr.: d.
4. a sum of money:
   He spent every penny he ever earned.
5. Building the length of a nail in terms of certain standard designations from twopenny to sixtypenny.
6. Idioms a bad penny, someone or something undesirable.
7. a pretty penny, [Informal.] a considerable sum of money:
   Their car must have cost them a pretty penny.
8. British Terms, Idioms [Chiefly Brit. Slang.] spend a penny, to urinate: from the former cost of using a public lavatory.
9. Idioms turn an honest penny, to earn one's living honestly;
   make money by fair means:
   He's never turned an honest penny in his life.

adj. 

10. Stock Exchange, Business of, pertaining to, or being penny stock:
    frenzied speculation in the penny market.

• WGmc or Gmc *pandingaz, probably equivalent. to *pand- pawn² + *-ingaz -ing³
• Old English);
• Middle English peni, Old English penig, pænig, pen(n)ing, pending, cognate with Old Frisian penning, panning, Old Saxon, Dutch penning, Old High German pfenning, phantinc, phenting (German Pfennig), Old Norse penningr (perh. bef. 900

pen′nied, adj. 

Pen•ny  (pen′ē), n. 

1. a female given name, form of Penelope. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

penny / ˈpɛnɪ/ noun (pennies, pence / pɛns/)

1. (in Britain) a bronze coin having a value equal to one hundredth of a pound
2. (in Britain before 1971) a bronze or copper coin having a value equal to one twelfth of a shilling or one two-hundred-and-fortieth of a pound
3. a former monetary unit of the Republic of Ireland worth one hundredth of a pound
4. (pennies) (in the US and Canada) a cent
5. a coin of similar value, as used in several other countries
6. (used with a negative) the least amount of money: I don't have a penny
7. a pretty penny ⇒ a considerable sum of money
8. spend a penny ⇒ to urinate
9. the penny dropped ⇒ the explanation of something was finally realized

Etymology: Old English penig, pening; related to Old Saxon penni(n)g, Old High German pfeni(n)c, German Pfennig