king\'s shilling

king's shilling

noun
(until 1879) a shilling given a recruit in the British army to bind his enlistment contract.
Also called, when a queen was sovereign, queen's shilling.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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King's shilling is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
queen's shilling or (when the sovereign was male) king's shilling
 
n
1.  (until 1879) a shilling paid to new recruits to the British army
2.  archaic (Brit) take the queen's shilling to enlist in the army
 
king's shilling or (when the sovereign was male) king's shilling
 
n

king's shilling or (when the sovereign was female) queen's shilling
 
n
1.  (until 1879) a shilling paid to new recruits to the British army
2.  archaic (Brit) take the king's shilling to enlist in the army
 
queen's shilling or (when the sovereign was female) queen's shilling
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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