rupee
UK /ˌɹuːˈpiː/ · US /ɹuˈpi/ noun
- noun Any of the monetary currencies used in modern India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, the Seychelles, or Sri Lanka.
- noun (historical) A silver coin circulating in India between the 16th and 20th centuries, weighing one tola (formerly 170–180 troy grains; from 1833, 180 troy grains).
- noun (video games) The primary currency of Hyrule.
Synonyms
Sri Lanka rupee Seychelles rupee Nepalese rupee Mauritian rupee Pakistani rupee Indian rupee
Etymology
Coined by Sher Shah Suri, the Sultan of the Suri Empire 1540–1545 as Hindustani रुपीया / رُوپِییَہ (rūpīya), variant of रुपया / رُوپَیَہ (rūpaya, “rupee”), from Sanskrit रूप्यक (rūpyaka, “silver coin”), from रूप्य (rūpya, “wrought gold or silver; stamped coin; beautiful, well-shaped; impressed, stamped”). Doublet of rufiyaa and rupiah.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [Hind.r, fr. Skr. r silver, coined silver or gold, handsome.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rupee”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details