sterling
noun/ˈstɜːlɪŋ/
/ˈstɜːrlɪŋ/
[uncountable]- the money system of the UK, based on the pound
- the value of sterling
- You can be paid in pounds sterling or American dollars.
- 50 pounds sterling
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryphrases- pounds sterling
Word OriginMiddle English: probably from steorra ‘star’ + -ling (because some early Norman coins bore a small star). Until recently one popular theory was that the coin was originally made by Easterling moneyers (from the “eastern” Hanse towns), but the stressed first syllable would not have been dropped.
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sterling