Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A gold coin struck in Spain by the Moorish dynasty of Almoravides in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It weighed about 60 grains. -2. In later times, the smallest denomination of Spanish money, varying in value from a little less to a little more than half an English farthing or quarter of a United States cent. As a copper coin the maravedi circulated till the end of the eighteenth century; as a money of account it was abolished in 1848.- Not worth a maravedi, worthless.
Wiktionary
- n. historical A former Spanish coin and unit of currency, originally issued in gold but later in silver and copper, discontinued in 1848.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Numis.) A small copper coin of Spain, equal to three mils American money, less than a farthing sterling. Also, an ancient Spanish gold coin.
Etymologies
- From Spanish maravedí, from Arabic مرابطين (murābiŧīn) (an inflected plural of مرابط (murābiŧ)), the name of the Berber rulers of Muslim Spain during the 12th century. Compare marabout. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The maravedi was the equivalent of about one-third of a cent.”
South American Fights and Fighters And Other Tales of Adventure
“[24] The maravedi was a money of account; thirty-four made a real (see”
“I could not prevail on them to accept one stiver, doit, or maravedi, for the trouble and expenses of my sick bed.”
“Duc de Soria, your predecessor would neither cost you a regret nor rob you of a maravedi.”
“One I remember especially — one who never eased me personally of a single maravedi — one than whom I never met a bandit more gallant, courteous, and amiable.”
“Andres paid to the last maravedi, despite and in the teeth of all the clowns in the world.”
“His family has inhabited the fortress ever since the time of the conquest, handing down an hereditary poverty from father to son; not one of them having ever been known to be worth a maravedi.”
“As he passed along he would every now and then draw a maravedi out of his pocket and bestow it on a beggar, with an air of signal beneficence.”
“I'd never held so much as a maravedi in my hand in my whole life.”
“He could not see persons in want without relieving them; and as his sole income whilst commanding the Carlist army consisted of 2500 reals, or twenty-five pounds sterling, a-month, which he took for his pay, he frequently found himself without a maravedi in his pocket.”
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 358, August 1845
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘maravedi’.
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Another 250 Spelling Words
Another range of words from the intermediate to the advanced speller's level.
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The Aubrey/Maturin List I'm Gonna Mak...
I'm wading through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels one by one, and someday, I'll wade through them again and list all the words I learned while reading them.
Edit: I started ma...studdingsail, carronade, mumchance, grumlin-futtocks, crosscat-harpings, holystone, sennit, orlop, orchitis, negus, kevel, altumal and 1112 more...
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Gil Blas
Interesting words and usages from Smollett's 1749 translation of Lesage's L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane
reck, durance, rhodomontade, hangdog, trap, lustre, pin, boggle, dandle, birthday suit, colic, gripes and 238 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for maravedi.
yarb ...pretty fellows, with vanity in their hearts, tinsel on their backs, and not a maravedi in their pockets...
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 5 ch. 1 Sep 19, 2008
chained_bear "'...at this point no bank in those parts could without long notice raise so much—let alone advance a single maravedi on such security.'"
--Patrick O'Brian, The Hundred Days, 21 Mar 20, 2008