obol
C2Historical, literary, academic, numismatic.
Definition
Meaning
A small silver coin of ancient Greece.
A unit of weight in ancient Greece; in modern contexts, a reference to an ancient coin or a token for symbolic payment, especially in reference to the coin placed in the mouth of the dead as payment for Charon.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is almost exclusively used in historical or literary contexts referring to ancient Greece or the classical underworld. It can be used metaphorically to refer to a very small sum of money or a token payment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant usage differences. The word is identically low-frequency and context-specific in both varieties.
Connotations
Evokes classical antiquity, mythology, archaeology, or history of economics.
Frequency
Extremely rare in general use. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British academic or literary writing due to traditional classical education, but the difference is negligible.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [noun] was priced at three obols.They placed an obol in his mouth.It wasn't worth a single obol.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not worth an obol (worthless)”
- “Charon's obol (payment for the ferryman of the dead)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in classics, archaeology, ancient history, and economic history texts.
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Used in numismatics (coin collecting) and scholarly publications on antiquity.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- In the museum, we saw an old Greek obol.
- Archaeologists found a silver obol placed carefully in the skeleton's jaw.
- The daily wage for a labourer in Athens was about one obol.
- The custom of burying the dead with a Charon's obol persisted for centuries across the Hellenistic world.
- His argument wasn't worth an obol, being based entirely on fallacious reasoning.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an OLD BOWL (sounds like 'obol') filled with ancient Greek coins.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SMALL AMOUNT IS AN OBOL (e.g., 'He didn't contribute an obol to the cause.'). DEATH IS A JOURNEY REQUIRING PAYMENT (Charon's obol).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with 'обол' (obus) meaning 'artillery shell' in Russian.
- Do not confuse with 'obelisk' (обелиск).
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing it as /oʊˈboʊl/ or /ˈəʊbəl/.
- Using it to refer to modern currency.
- Misspelling as 'obble' or 'oble'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you most likely encounter the word 'obol'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is a highly specialised historical term. You will only find it in texts about ancient Greece, mythology, archaeology, or numismatics.
In Greek myth, Charon was the ferryman who transported souls across the river Styx to the underworld. A coin (an obol) was placed in or on the mouth of the deceased as payment for this service.
It was a small silver coin. Six obols made one drachma. Its purchasing power varied over time, but it represented a modest daily wage for unskilled labour in Classical Athens.
Yes, though rarely. It can metaphorically mean a very small or insignificant amount of money, as in the phrase 'not worth an obol'.