Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A nickel coin used in the Netherlands and worth 1/20 of a guilder.
- noun Something of small value.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A small coin formerly current in Holland and in the Dutch colonies: in Dutch called
stuiver . - noun A copper coin formerly current in the Dutch colonies.
- noun Hence Any very small coin, or coin of little value.
- noun An inhabitant of the stews; a harlot.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A Dutch coin, and money of account, of the value of two cents, or about one penny sterling; hence, figuratively, anything of little worth.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun historical A small
Dutch coin worth one twentieth of aguilder . - noun Anything of small
value .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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[2] A stiver is a Dutch coin equal to 1/20 of a guilder.
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Six white beads of wampum to the stiver was the rate established by authority in 1673.] _26th, Tuesday.
Journal of Jasper Danckaerts, 1679-1680 Jasper Danckaerts 1898
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“I was plundered of every stiver when they took me — it shall avail thee much.”
Quentin Durward 2008
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I could not prevail on them to accept one stiver, doit, or maravedi, for the trouble and expenses of my sick bed.
A Legend of Montrose 2008
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Well, as he was a-going to depart this bachelor life, he did what every man in such suckmstances ought to do; he made his will, — that is, he made a dispasition of his property, and wrote letters to his creditors telling them of his lucky chance; and that after his marridge he would sutnly pay them every stiver.
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‘Well, you tell Holdaway that I’m aground, not a stiver — not a stiver.
Lay Morals 2005
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He said he had not a stiver, but he was drunk enough.
Lay Morals 2005
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Mr. Whip Vigil, on the other hand, declared on the part of Government that the bridge was wholly unnecessary; that if it were built it ought to be pulled down again; and that not a stiver could be given out of the public purse with such an object.
The Three Clerks 2004
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'Not a stiver, mon garçon - which means, my lad: get up, and we'll take a turn through the mill before the hands come in, and
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Doones indeed they were, about which you of course know best — took every stiver out of the carriage: wet or dry they took it.
Lorna Doone Richard Doddridge 2004
whichbe commented on the word stiver
Thing of little or no value. (from Phrontistery)
May 23, 2008
yarb commented on the word stiver
...not to speak of my three years' beef and board, for which I would not have to pay one stiver.
- Melville, Moby-Dick, ch. 16
July 24, 2008
ruzuzu commented on the word stiver
"4. An inhabitant of the stews; a harlot."
--Century Dictionary
February 22, 2011
john commented on the word stiver
Anybody have any idea where or what "the stews" are?
February 22, 2011
yarb commented on the word stiver
The slums?
February 22, 2011
reesetee commented on the word stiver
This book implies that the stews are "brothel-houses," presumably somewhere (or in many places) in England--the book is titled The Church History of Britain.
February 22, 2011
dontcry commented on the word stiver
I would guess it refers the hot, heavy, gritty, moist, and otherwise unsavory area of a city.
February 22, 2011
dontcry commented on the word stiver
"Stella!"
February 22, 2011
ruzuzu commented on the word stiver
The OED has a bunch of meanings for it, including ponds, moats, artificial oyster-beds, and "A breeding place for pheasants," but I think what we're looking for is something about the heated rooms in steamy bath-houses (hot-air baths), and the unsavory things that happened there.
February 22, 2011
ruzuzu commented on the word stiver
"3. A heated room used for hot air or vapour baths : hence, a hot bath. Obs. exc. Hist. or arch. . . .
4. A brothel. (Developed from sense 3, on account of the frequent use of the public hot-air bath-houses for immoral purposes. Cf. bagnio.)
a. In plural (chiefly collect.; sometimes, a quarter occupied by houses of ill-fame)."
--from the Oxford English Dictionary definition for stews, p. 935 (specifically the Compact Edition which was "reproduced micrographically" in 1974 and came with its own magnifying glass)
February 22, 2011
reesetee commented on the word stiver
*wonders whether John's sorry he asked*
;-)
February 23, 2011
fbharjo commented on the word stiver
It leaves one in a stew! No reason to stew about it though!
Wordie (wordnik) is a stew John created (started). What would it be without spice!
February 23, 2011