maravedi

M3A1R1A1V4E1D2I1
/mæɹəˈveɪdi/

noun

A former Spanish coin and unit of currency, originally issued in gold but later in silver and copper, discontinued in 1848.

Scrabble 14

Meanings

nounmaravedi (plural maravedis)

plural maravedis

  1. historicalA former Spanish coin and unit of currency, originally issued in gold but later in silver and copper, discontinued in 1848.

    an thou dost go on to put thy filthy lucre in the balance with thy daughter’s life and honour, by Heaven, I will strip thee of every maravedi thou hast in the world, before three days are out!

    1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe
  2. figurativelyA very small quantity or value; the least possible amount.

    I think I know myself; I am not prone to suspicion; but for those strange words, I should not have cared a maravedi for her painting that cursed flower.

    1836, Joanna Baillie, The Alienated Manor, act 1, page 160

    Synonyms: jot, shred, whit, farthing

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA very small quantity or value; the least possible amount.

Origin

  1. Arabicمُرَابِطِين
  2. Spanishmaravedí
  3. Englishmaravedi

From Spanish maravedí, from Arabic مُرَابِطِين (murābiṭīn), an inflected plural of مُرَابِط (murābiṭ, “holy man”), the name of the Almoravid rulers of Muslim Spain during the 12th century. Compare marabout.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

maravedi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maravedi

MLA

“maravedi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maravedi. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maravedi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maravedi.

Source: maravedi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.