noun, plural yen.
1.
an aluminum coin and monetary unit of Japan, equal to 100 sen or 1000 rin. Symbol: ¥; Abbreviation: Y
2.
a former silver coin of Japan.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
noun
1.
a desire or craving: I had a yen for apple pie.
verb (used without object)
2.
to have a craving; yearn.
Origin:
1905–10, Americanism; probably < dialectal Chinese (OAGuangdong) yáhn, akin to Chinese yǐn craving, addiction
1905–10, Americanism; probably < dialectal Chinese (OAGuangdong) yáhn, akin to Chinese yǐn craving, addiction
Synonyms
1. longing, hankering, hunger, appetite.
1. longing, hankering, hunger, appetite.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To yen
00:10
Yen
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
yen1 (jɛn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl yen | |
| the standard monetary unit of Japan, (notionally) divided into 100 sen | |
| [C19: from Japanese en, from Chinese yüan circular object, dollar] | |
| yen2 (jɛn) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a passionate, ardent, or intense longing or desire |
| —vb , yens, yenning, yenned | |
| 2. | (intr) to yearn |
| [perhaps from Chinese (Cantonese) yăn a craving, addiction] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
yen
"Japanese monetary unit," 1875, from Japanese yen, from Chinese yuan "round, round object, circle, dollar."
yen
"sharp desire, hunger," 1906, earlier yin "intense craving for opium" (1876), from Chinese (Cantonese) yan "craving," or from a Beijing dialect word for "smoke." Reinforced in Eng. by influence of yearn.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
yen
monetary unit of Japan. The yen was divided into 100 sen and into 1,000 rin until 1954, when these tiny denominations were removed from circulation. Despite having suffered enormous devastation during World War II, Japan enjoyed an economic miracle in the second half of the 20th century, during which time the yen became one of the leading international currencies, challenging the pound sterling and the dollar on international markets. The yen's symbol is . The name yen derives from an ancient term for Chinese round coins (yuan).
Learn more about yen with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Worrying about a strong dollar and a weak yen makes no sense.
The lure of dollars-or euros or yen-becomes all but irresistible when the alternatives become ever more limited.
When the euro is in trouble the dollar and yen rise.
Instead, the dollar, euro and yen all need to depreciate.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
