Sou
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 An old French copper coin equal to one twentieth of a livre or twelve deniers; one sou is to the livre as one shilling is to the pound. historical
"He is grey, flat-footed and withered, with long, brittle nails that set your nerves on edge while he scrapes up your two sous."
- 2 a former French coin of low denomination; often used of any small amount of money wordnet
- 3 Cent; pocket money. dated, slang
- 4 A thing of the smallest value; a whit; a jot. dated
"I do not care a sou for your excuses."
- 1 A surname.
Example
More examples"Cool cloudy morning, hot sunny afternoon, it was for today, this 18th of July of 2025, here on Lulu Island. It was rather hot, but there was a slight breeze, so that I could flap my arms through it. I walked several times to Tim Hortons café for drinks and a steak sandwich. At home, there was much fish with rice. On the way to the café, I keep noticing what looks like a very tall European Mountain Ash tree, with bunches of orange berry-like fruits. At the café, there were a Hispanic mother and son. The mother said in Spanish to him, "Eres gay." "Te quiero" he mumbled. He was muscular with a stocky build, a good-looking mestizo with Amerindian blood. I whispered in Portuguese, "Sou um pardo..." Before 4 PM, I walked to the "Clam Temple," the Roman Catholic church on St. Albans Road. On the way, I saw the Bamboo Grove. Rotting rose leaves, rotting fig leaves, and rotting apples littered the compost beside it. At the near-empty grand nave, at the left front, was a group of Cantonese chanters. Maybe, they were not just Cantonese, but some were Hokkien. The list of donors to the building of the modern-looking church included many Cantonese, as well as Hokkien from the Philippines. I was sitting at the back of the nave. Today was my 71st time to the church this "Krismas" year of 2025. I love Science, though I'm a spiritual Syncretist."
Etymology
Borrowed from French sou. Doublet of sol, sold, soldo, solid, solidus, and xu.