drachma

What it means

1. The currency of Greece in ancient times and again from 1832 until 2001, with the symbol ₯, since replaced by the euro.

   2008, Philip Matyszak, Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day (title of the book)

   1 more example

   'Who is he, and where does he come from?' said I, 'and what does he charge?' 'Evenus of Paros, Socrates,' said he, 'and his fee is 500 drachmae.' I felt that Evenus was to be congratulated if he really was a master of this art and taught it at such a moderate fee.

   1993, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, “Justice and Duty (i): Socrates Speaks at his Trial: the Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), revised edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 40

2. A coin worth one drachma.
3. An Ancient Greek weight of about 66.5 grains, or 4.3 grams.

In a sentence

'Who is he, and where does he come from?' said I, 'and what does he charge?' 'Evenus of Paros, Socrates,' said he, 'and his fee is 500 drachmae.' I felt that Evenus was to be congratulated if he really was a master of this art and taught it at such a moderate fee.

1993, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant, “Justice and Duty (i): Socrates Speaks at his Trial: the Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), revised edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Penguin Books, →ISBN, page 40

Where it comes from

1. grc-dorδρᾰχμᾱ́
2. Latindrachma
3. Englishdrachma

Learned borrowing from Latin drachma and its etymon Doric Greek δρᾰχμᾱ́ (drăkhmā́). Doublet of dram, diram, dirham, dirhem, adarme, and dam.