> as lemmas

1. Historical. A denomination of coin (in medieval Latin grossus, French gros, Italian grosso, Middle Dutch groot) which was recognized from the 13th cent. in various countries of Europe. Its standard seems to have been in the 14th cent. 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 Dutch 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.