groat
(grəʊt, grɔːt)
Forms: 4–6 groot(e, grote, 5–6 grott(e, 6 grot, groate, grootte, Sc. and north. groit, groyt, 6– groat.
[a. MDu. groot, properly an elliptical use of the adj. etymologically = great (in the sense ‘thick’); cf. MHG. grôȥe pfenninge ‘thick pennies’, groschen. The equivalent med.L. grossus, OF. gros (see gross n.) occur earlier than the Teut. forms.
The pronunciation (grɔːt), for which compare (brɔːd) broad, is recognized by many Dicts., but is now old-fashioned.]
1. Hist. A denomination of coin (in med. Latin grossus, F. gros, It. grosso, MDu. groot) which was recognized from the 13th c. in various countries of Europe. Its standard seems to have been in the 14th c. theoretically one-eighth of an ounce of silver; but its actual intrinsic value varied greatly in different countries and at different periods. (The adoption of the Du. or Flemish form of the word into English shows that the ‘groat’ of the Low Countries had circulated here before a coin of that denomination was issued by the English sovereigns.) † a shilling, pound of groats: a Flemish money of account bearing the same proportion to the ordinary ‘shilling’ or ‘pound’ as the groat or ‘thick penny’ did to the ordinary penny.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VI. 259 Þe groot turoney is somwhat lasse worþy þan an Englische groote. c 1483 Caxton Dialogues viii. 44 Qvyntyne the tollar Hath taken of me A pound of grotes [Fr. vng liure de gros] More than he ought to take Of right tolle. a 1500 Sir Beues 3472 (Pynson) Beuys gaue that man for his tydynge Of grotes twenty shelynge. 1542 Recorde Gr. Artes K iij b, A flemmish grote is a litell aboue 3 farthynges englishe. |
2. The English groat coined in 1351–2 was made equal to four pence. This ratio between the groat and the penny continued to be maintained; but owing to the progressive debasement of both coins, the ‘old groats’ which remained in circulation were valued at a higher rate (see quots. 1465, c 1483, also 1552 in b). The groat ceased to be issued for circulation in 1662, and was not afterwards coined under that name. The ‘fourpence’ (popularly ‘fourpenny bit,’ ‘fourpenny piece’), which was issued from 1836 to 1856 (and after 1888 reissued for colonial circulation) was occasionally called a ‘groat,’ but the name was neither officially recognized nor commonly used. The Scottish fourpenny piece, first struck in 1358, is called a ‘groat’ (AF. grote) in an English Act of 1390, and this name was used in Scotland itself in the 15th c. Its value was already only 3d. English in 1373, and 2d. in 1390; later it fell much lower. In Ireland the groat was first struck in 1460. Harry groat (see harry 9). York groat (see quot. 1837).
| [1351 in Rymer Fœdera (1708) V. 709/1 Si avoms, par avis de nostre Conseil..ordene & fait faire Novele Monoie..d'Argent cest assavoir une Monoie, que serra appellee Un Gros, de la value de Quaters Esterlings.] 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. iii. 133 Heo ȝeueth the jayler gold and grotes to-gedere. c 1386 Chaucer Pard. T. 617 Ye, for a grote, vnbokele anon thy purs. 1444 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 220 A good be stille is offte weel wourth a groote. 1451 Sc. Acts Jas. II c. 1 At þar be strikin of the vnce of brynt siluer or bulȝeoun of þat fynes viij grottes. 1465 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 492 My master payd hym..of old grotes, l.s. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxix. 239 In the xxvi yere of his regne the kyng lete ordeyne and make his newe money..the peny, the grote of value of iiij pens, and the half grote of value of ii pens..but it was of lasse weight than the old sterlyng was by v shyllyng in the pounde. c 1483 ― Dialogues v. 17 The olde grotes of englond Which be worth v pens The newe be worth foure pens. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 461 In this yere [24 Edw. III, 1351–2] also the kynge caused to be coyned grotes and halfegrotes, the whiche lacked of y⊇ weyghte of his former coyne. ii.s. vi.d. in a li. Troy. 1503 Act 19 Hen. VII c. 5 Coin of other Lands now current in this Realm for Groats, or for iv.d. being Silver. 1526 Wriothesley Chron. (1875) I. 15 This yeare [1526] in November, the Kinge enhaunsed his coyne..that is to saye, the riall at 11s 3{supd}, the angell 7s 6{supd}..allso he..valued an ownce sylver fyne sterlinge at 3s 8{supd}; and also made new grotes and halfe grotts after the rate. 1543 [see chekasyde]. 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. iii. (1870) 133 In Irlond they haue Irysh grotes, and harped grotes. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. vi. 153 There commeth up white huskes, which be flat, rounde, and very large, of the quantitie of a groote, or Testerne. 1626 Bernard Isle of Man (1627) 239 Two pence, yea a groate sometimes. 1700 Dryden Cock & the Fox 181, I dare lay a groat [rime-word lot]. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 295 ¶4 A Pin a Day, says our frugal Proverb, is a Groat a Year. 1714 Gay Shepherd's Week, The Ditty 106 With apron blue to dry her tears she sought, Then saw the cow well serv'd, and took a groat. 1786 Burns Earnest Cry & Prayer ix, An' plunder'd o' her hindmost groat By gallows knaves. 1837 Penny Cycl. VII. 330 It was one of the charges against Wolsey, that he had put the cardinal's hat upon the king's money, as is seen upon his York groats and half-groats. 1849 James Woodman iv, For the young lord at their head gave me a York groat. 1885 W. Ross Aberdour & Inchcolme v. 144 A shearer would look askance at a groat dropped into the palm of his hand, as payment for a day's work. |
† b. Used to translate Gr. δραχµή or L. denarius.
| 1526 Tindale Luke xv. 9, I have founde the groate which I had loost. c 1550 Cheke Matt. xx. 2 He agreed with y⊇ workmen for a groot a dai. [1552 Elyot's Dict., Didrachmum, a siluer coyne, conteynyng .ii. Drachmas, euerie Drachma, beyng in value an old sterling groat, when eight went to the ounce.] 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 257/1 Seeke the grote that is lost, of the unitie, I meane of faith. 1570 Levins Manip. 178/1 A grote, drachma. |
† c. Taken as the type of a very small sum. Obs.
| 1513 Douglas æneis vi. v. 71 Than, at the last, to pas our in this boit Thay bene admit, and costis thaim not a groit. a 1605 Montgomerie Sonn. xxi. 2 Except ȝour gouns, some hes not worth a grote. a 1704 T. Brown Sat. French King Wks. 1730 I. 59 'Slife, I'll not take thy honour for a groat. 1749 Chesterfield Lett. (1792) II. cxcviii. 244, I do not care a groat what it is, if [etc.]. |
† d. a cracked groat or slit groat: referred to as the type of something worthless. Obs.
| 1600 Dekker Gent. Craft i. (1862) 10 Peace you cracked groats. 1677 W. Hughes Man of Sin ii. ix. 145 Their Vulgar Catechismes leave wholly out the Second Commandement..These wicked Cheats, of the Tenth make Two. But 'tis a Slit Groat. 1679 Penn Addr. Prot. ii. 156 The People..take all upon trust for their Souls, that would not trust an Arch-bishop about a Slit Groat. |
† 3. A point at cards, ? from the practice of using groats to score with. Obs.
| 1680 Cotton Compl. Gamester (ed. 2) 83 If either side are at eight Groats he hath the benefit of calling Can-ye, if he hath two Honours in his hand. |
4. attrib., as groat-silver, a customary gratuity of a groat.
| 1394–5 Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) I. 214 Hominibus de domo dei pro eorum grotsiluer, vjs. viijd. 1522–3 Ibid. 255, 15 fratr. et soror. de domo Dei pro eorum grotsiluer, cuilibet eorum 5d., 6s. 3d. |