Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A name given to large silver coins current, chiefly during the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century, in several European countries (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, etc.). The value varied between $1.15 and 60 cents United States money, but was usually a little over $1.
- n. An English colonial coin and money of account, derived from the Dutch, in Ceylon, Cape Colony, and Malacca.
GNU Webster's 1913
Etymologies
- From obsolete Dutch rijcksdaler, cognate to German Reichsthaler and to the English words riche and dollar. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Ibsen was now beginning, rather shyly, very craftily, to invest money; he even found himself in frequent straits for ready coin from his acute impatience to set every rix-dollar breeding.”
“I never saw any silver pieces there, and could not without difficulty, and giving a premium, obtain the value of a rix-dollar in a large copper coin to give away on the road to the poor who open the gates.”
Letters written during a short residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
“I requested something to eat first, not having dined; and the hostess, whom I have mentioned to you before as knowing how to take care of herself, brought me a plate of fish, for which she charged a rix-dollar and a half.”
Letters written during a short residence in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
“I once showed one of their chiefs a rix-dollar; he asked how much it was worth among the Christians; and when I told him, he laughed exceedingly at us, saying we were fools to value a piece of iron so highly; and if he had such money, he would throw it into the river.”
“I would have paid a rix-dollar admission if she had been exhibited for money.”
“Twill be eating coined money," said he; "for the burgomaster of Dusseldorf had given us a rix-dollar for these ears, as proving the death of their owners; but better a lean purse than a lere stomach.”
“The sub-prior forced a rix-dollar on Gerard, and several brushes and colours out of the convent stock, which was very large.”
“It was a sum of money, that had been weighed, rix-dollar by rix-dollar, against the blood of Gustavus.”
History of the Girondists, Volume I Personal Memoirs of the Patriots of the French Revolution
“His Majesty was as severe and economical in his friendships as in the other charges of his establishment, and as unlikely to give a rix-dollar too much for his guests as for his dinners.”
“Though the pay of the Prussian soldier was small, though every rix-dollar of extraordinary charge was scrutinized by Frederic with a vigilance and suspicion such as Mr. Joseph Hume never brought to the examination of an army estimate, the expense of such an establishment was, for the means of the country, enormous.”
Lists
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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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chained_bear For usage note see johannes. Mar 4, 2008