ducat
Americannoun
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any of various former European gold or silver coins, esp those used in Italy or the Netherlands
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(often plural) any coin or money
Etymology
Origin of ducat
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Old Italian ducato, from Medieval Latin ducātus “duchy,” probably so called from the Latin words dux or ducātus, which formed part of the legends of such coins; duchy
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.
All are performed before tens of thousands of fans paying exorbitant prices for hard-to-come-by ducats.
From Washington Post
The coins, called ducats, are “a symbol of good luck. … The details on the Ana coins are inspired by ducats.”
From Los Angeles Times
Caught in the middle is Pelosi, who appears to have moved firmly past a post-election struggle to regain the speaker’s gavel and recently finished handing out committee assignments and some other political ducats.
From Washington Post
Michelangelo doesn’t want a fiefdom in the Balkans; he wants cold, hard ducats.
From The New Yorker
For much of European art history, religious authorities had the whip hand when it came to painting: They controlled the imagery, owned the prime real estate and could pay top ducat for the best work.
From New York Times
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.