Kopeks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small monetary unit used in Russia and some other countries, equal to one hundredth of a ruble
2. One hundredth part of the ruble, serving as a minor currency denomination in Russia
3. A fractional currency unit in Russia worth one one-hundredth of a ruble, used for smaller transactions

Etymology: The word is the plural of "kopek," and the singular carries a picture on its coin: a rider with a spear. The name comes from Russian "kopeyka," from "kopye," meaning "spear." The coins minted in Moscow after the capture of Novgorod in 1478 showed a mounted warrior brandishing a lance, and the people who handled them began calling the small coin after that image. Because the name is tied to the picture rather than to any abstract value, the same root produced alternative spellings in English and other languages. "Kapeyka" and "kopiyka" are doublets of the same word, all descending from a single Russian coinage name. The plural "kopeks" is the form used in English when more than one coin is meant.