chervonets
or tcher·vo·netz
[ cher-voh-nits, -nets; Russian chyir-vaw-nyits ]
/ tʃərˈvoʊ nɪts, -nɛts; Russian tʃyɪrˈvɔ nyɪts /
noun, plural cher·von·tsi [cher-vohnt-see; Russian chyir-vawn-tsi] /tʃərˈvoʊnt si; Russian tʃyɪrˈvɔn tsɪ/.
a former gold coin and monetary unit of the U.S.S.R., equal to ten rubles.
Origin of chervonets
1920–25; < Russian
chervónets, Old Russian
chervon(n)yi a similar gold coin < Polish
czerwony a gold coin, literally, red (apparently because gold of a high purity was thought to have a reddish cast), cognate with Czech
červený, Serbo-Croatian
cr̀ven, cr̀(v)ljen, Bulgarian
chervén < Slavic
*čṛvljen, orig. past participle of
*čṛviti to dye red, derivative of
*čṛvĭ worm,
kermes (Serbo-Croatian
cr̂v, Polish
czerw, Russian
chervʾ), a by-form of
*čṛmĭ; compare OCS
chrĭmĭnŭ red; see
crimson,
vermilion
Words nearby chervonets
cherubicon,
cherubim,
cherubini,
cherubism,
chervil,
chervonets,
cherwell,
cheryl,
cherylene,
ches.,
chesapeake
British Dictionary definitions for chervonets
chervonets
/ (tʃəˈvɔːnɛts) /
noun
(formerly) a Soviet monetary unit and gold coin worth ten roubles
Word Origin for chervonets
from Old Russian
červonyi, from Old Polish
czerwony golden, purple