Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
tetradrachm

tetradrachm

1 9.9
A silver coin from ancient Greece worth four drachmas
  • noun
  • /ˌtɛtrəˈdrækm/
  • Archaic
translation icon : tetradracma
  • Look at this tetradrachm!

Examples

  • A silver tetradrachm from the Hellenistic period was displayed in the museum's ancient coins section.

  • The collector was thrilled to find an Athenian tetradrachm at the auction.

  • Historians study the images on each tetradrachm to learn about ancient Greek culture.

  • The ancient tetradrachm was a significant currency in Greece.

  • Do you accept Athenian tetradrachm as payment for your goods?

  • Many collectors are interested in purchasing Alexander the Great tetradrachm coins from ancient Greece.

  • The tetradrachm often featured an owl on one side, symbolizing wisdom and association with the city of Athens.

Surface Forms

tetradrachm singular
tetradrachms plural

Morphology

tetradrachm = drachm (opaque) = tetra + drachm

Although analyzable as 'tetra-' (four) + 'drachm', both elements are rare/Greek-derived and unfamiliar to average B1 learners, so the meaning 'four drachmas' is not easily derived.

Etymology

The word tetradrachm comes from Greek parts tetra- meaning 'four' and drachm meaning 'a coin'. So a tetradrachm was a silver coin worth four drachmas, an easy way to remember it as 'four' units of money and to see the link with the English word 'dram'.