groat: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Historical, Archaic, Literary, Specialised (Culinary)
Quick answer
What does “groat” mean?
A former English silver coin, worth four old pence.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A former English silver coin, worth four old pence.
Also used to refer to a very small sum of money; historically, the name for various European medieval and early modern silver coins. In cooking, crushed hulled grain, especially oats.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The historical/numismatic sense is known in both varieties but is equally archaic. The culinary sense ('oat groats') is more prevalent in American health-food and speciality cooking contexts.
Connotations
In UK historical/literary context, it strongly connotes poverty or trivial value ('not care a groat'). In US, it more neutrally denotes a type of whole grain product.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Slightly higher potential exposure in US due to health food trends.
Grammar
How to Use “groat” in a Sentence
not VERB a groat (care, give, worth)NOUN groats (oat, wheat, barley)Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Found in historical/economic texts about medieval currency or in nutritional science regarding whole grains.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be encountered in historical novels or health food shops.
Technical
Used in numismatics (coin collecting) and in culinary/nutritional contexts specifying whole grain ingredients.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “groat”
- Misspelling as 'grote'.
- Using in modern financial contexts.
- Confusing the coin sense with the food sense.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The groat has not been minted as regular currency for centuries. It is purely a historical term.
Groats are the whole, hulled kernel of the grain. Rolled oats are groats that have been steamed and flattened with rollers.
No, 'groat' is exclusively a noun in modern English.
You are most likely to see it in historical fiction, numismatics (coin collecting), or on packaging for whole-grain products like 'steel-cut oat groats'.
A former English silver coin, worth four old pence.
Groat is usually historical, archaic, literary, specialised (culinary) in register.
Groat: in British English it is pronounced /ɡrəʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡroʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “not care a groat”
- “not worth a groat”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a GROAT as a GROwn OAT that's been crushed for eating, or a GROssly small Amount of money (like a groat coin).
Conceptual Metaphor
WORTHLESSNESS IS A MINUTE COIN (not worth a groat).
Practice
Quiz
In which of these contexts is the word 'groat' most likely to be used today?