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red cent

noun

Etymology

Probably from the color of the copper from which the coin was minted. Prior to 1864, a brighter nickel-based cent was used, often called the white cent. It is also possible that the red originally referred to the obverse bearing an Indian head stamp. See Indian Head cent.

Definitions

  1. A copper penny.

  2. A very small amount of money.

    • I wouldn't pay one red cent for a ticket.
    • Snorkey. But I ain't got two cents. What's a fellow to do if he hasn't got a red?
    • Day by day for two-and-a-half years, I've seen resources diminishing, disappearing. We're begging, damn near down on our knees, and not getting one red cent.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for red cent. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA