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# shilling

noun (a shilling, shillings)

«shilling» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (history, UK) An old British coin worth 12 old pennies; 20 shillings made one pound. It was used until 1971, when British money became decimal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#m1)
2. The money used today in some countries, such as Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Somalia. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#m2)
3. (Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, history) An old coin in those places too. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons, old British money is "pounds, shillings and pence" (£sd); a shilling was written "1s" or "1/-". In maths problems from old books: 1 pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pence, so 1 pound = 240 old pence. After 1971 a shilling became 5 new pence. In the news, the Kenyan shilling is Kenya's money. Phrases: a shilling, two shillings, the Kenyan shilling, take the King's shilling (join the army).

### Examples

- Before 1971, a shilling was worth 12 pennies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x1)
- There were 20 shillings in a pound. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x2)
- The milk cost one shilling. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x3)
- Kenya uses the Kenyan shilling. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x4)
- Grandad remembers buying sweets for a shilling. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x5)
- In old maths books, sums are in pounds, shillings and pence. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x6)
- Very likely thou art a lucky shilling. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a shilling, shillings. Old written forms: 2s, 2/-. In maths: 1 pound = 20 shillings; 1 shilling = 12 old pence; after decimal money, 1 shilling = 5p.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «shilling» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shilling/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«shilling» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/shilling.html) on Mova free.