yen
1 Americannoun
plural
yen-
an aluminum coin and monetary unit of Japan, equal to 100 sen or 1000 rin. ¥; Y
-
a former silver coin of Japan.
noun
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
noun
Usage
What does yen mean? Yen is a monetary unit of Japan similar to a dollar. It comes in the form of a coin that’s also called a yen.The symbol for yen is ¥. Like a dollar, it can be divided into 100 parts called sen (though sen are not used in practice).The plural of yen is yen.Unrelatedly, yen is a slang term meaning a strong craving, desire, or yearning. It’s especially used in the phrase have a yen for. It can also be used as a verb meaning to crave or strongly desire.Example: Ever since I came back from Italy, I’ve had a yen for fresh pasta.
Etymology
Origin of yen1
1870–75; < Japanese ( y ) en < Chinese yuán yuan
Origin of yen2
1905–10, probably < dialectal Chinese (OAGuangdong) yáhn, akin to Chinese yǐn craving, addiction
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That gave a little lift to the yen, combining with haven buying and continued trade uncertainty.
The yen extended a minor recovery against the dollar after a top Bank of Japan board member again urged officials to continue hiking interest rates.
From Barron's
The Japanese yen fell to a two-week low against the dollar, driven by political pressure for low interest rates.
From Barron's
The greenback was also hit last month by increasing talk of a coordinated intervention to prop up the competing Japanese yen.
From MarketWatch
The yen softened after Prime Minister Takaichi’s Bank of Japan board picks suggested a more dovish leaning for the central bank, though the overall board mix is likely to stay much the same.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
