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yen

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yen

1  [yen]
Use yen in a Sentence
–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.
Origin:
1870–75; < Japn (y)en < Chin yuán yuan
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yen

2  [yen] ,noun, verb, yenned, yen⋅ning. Informal.
–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; prob. < dial. Chin (OAGuangdong) yáhn, akin to Chin yǐn craving, addiction

Synonyms:
1. longing, hankering, hunger, appetite.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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yen 1   (yěn)   
n.  A strong desire or inclination; a yearning or craving.
intr.v.   yenned, yen·ning, yens
To have a strong desire or inclination; yearn.

[Chinese (Cantonese) uên, hope, wish, equivalent to Chinese (Mandarin) yuàn.]
yen 2   (yěn)   
n.   pl. yen
See Table at currency.

[Japanese en, from Chinese (Mandarin) yuán, dollar.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

yen  (1)
"Japanese monetary unit," 1875, from Japanese yen, from Chinese yuan "round, round object, circle, dollar."

yen  (2)
"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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

yen

see have a yen for.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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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.
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