guinée

guinea (gold coin)

noun ghee-NEH Rare

Usage Note

Guinée as a common noun denotes the old British gold coin worth 21 shillings, used in historical and literary contexts. As a proper noun it is the West African country Guinée. In French financial or historical writing, references to prices in guinées signal an English setting; learners encountering it in a novel should not confuse it with the country.

Examples

"Il a parié plusieurs guinées sur le cheval."

Natural Translation

He bet several guineas on the horse.

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