Word of the Day: Florin

 [FLOR-in]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Middle English, 14th century

1.

A foreign coin of gold or silver, especially a Dutch guilder.

2.

A former British coin and monetary unit worth two shillings.

Examples of florin in a sentence

"I wonder how many florins Michelangelo received for painting the Sistine Chapel."

"The treasure chest contained a number of gold florins and other antique riches."

About Florin

“Florin” entered Middle English as a relative of the Italian term “fiorino,” meaning “little flower,” since the earliest florin coins bore the image of a flower.

Did you Know?

The original gold coin known in English as the “florin” was mass-produced in Florence, Italy, between 1252 and 1533. It was used across Europe and became synonymous with the Renaissance. Many naturally assume that the word “florin” is a diminutive form of “Florence,” but this is a coincidence. Rather, the coin was known in Italian as “fiorino d'oro,” or “little golden flower,” a reference to the fleur-de-lis (a stylized lily) it bore on one side. “Florin” is an anglicization of “fiorino.”