Stiver

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈstaɪvÉ™/

Origin

From Dutch stuiver, cognate with Middle Low German stüver.

Full definition of stiver

Noun

1. (historical) A small Dutch coin worth one twentieth of a guilder.
2. Anything of small value.
• 1761, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, vol. 4 (Penguin 2003, p. 223):’Tis not worth a single stiver, said the bandy-leg'd drummer.
• 1851, Herman Melville, ,All hands, including the captain, received certain shares of the profits called lays . . . . And though the 275th lay was what they call a rather long lay, yet it was better than nothing; and if we had a lucky voyage, might pretty nearly pay for the clothing I would wear out on it, not to speak of my three years' beef and board, for which I would not have to pay one stiver.

Anagrams

• rivets
• strive