eightpenny

[ eyt-pen-ee ]

adjective

1. noting a nail 2½ inches (6.4 centimeters) long.
2. costing or amounting to the sum of eight pennies. : 8d

Word History and Origins

Origin of eightpenny¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; eight + penny ( def 6 ) (so called because originally one paid eight British pennies for a hundred nails; the term later referred to the size of the nail)

Example Sentences

From John Blane, during the same year, he purchased 2500 tenpenny nails and the same quantity of eightpenny nails.

From Project Gutenberg

It is rumoured that the former is in treaty with the latter for a pair of left-off six-and-eightpenny Clarences.

From Project Gutenberg

Eightpenny finishing nails are the best, three in each board, the heads being driven in to admit of puttying.

From Project Gutenberg

The large fivepenny, sixpenny, eightpenny, and shilling often had unusually wide margins when perforated.

From Project Gutenberg

Mrs Margaret looked wistfully at the fourteen-shilling crimson, and then manfully chose the six-and-eightpenny green.

From Project Gutenberg