sixpence

«sixpence» in Mova's school dictionary: A sixpence was a small British coin worth six old… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a sixpence, sixpences)

meaning for a pupil

1) A sixpence was a small British coin worth six old pennies, used until Britain changed to decimal money and kept for a while after. tree →

2) (old-fashioned) Sixpence is the amount of six old pennies. tree →

sense in the lessons

In history lessons it is part of old British money: 12 pennies made a shilling and 20 shillings a pound, so sixpence was half a shilling. In nursery rhymes and stories: «Sing a song of sixpence». At Christmas some families still hide a silver sixpence in the pudding for luck, and brides put one in a shoe. Phrases: a silver sixpence, turn on a sixpence (turn very quickly in a small space).

examples

• «Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye.» tree →
• Grandma found a sixpence in her Christmas pudding. tree →
• When Grandad was a boy, a comic cost sixpence. tree →
• Sixpence was worth half a shilling. tree →
• The bride had a sixpence in her shoe for good luck. tree →
• That little car can turn on a sixpence. tree →
• The old sixpence was also called a «tanner». tree →
• "You might give me sixpence, Daddy," said Effie, "because I did bring you the new specimen. tree →

note

Plural sixpences. Old money was written 6d (d for pennies). In maths: 2 sixpences = 1 shilling; 40 sixpences = 1 pound. Do not mix with modern pence: 1 old sixpence is not 6p today (it became 2½ new pence).

In the corpora

• Toad bargains for six shillings and sixpence and as much stew as he can eat, and gets it.
• Sixpence was an old British coin; two sixpences made a shilling, and prices were much smaller then.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «sixpence» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.