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centesimo

cent

noun chen-TEH-zee-moh Rare

Origin: Latin centesimus (hundredth)

Also means

hundredth

Usage Note

Centesimo is both the monetary subdivision (one hundredth of a euro) and the ordinal adjective meaning 'hundredth'. As a coin denomination it is invariably masculine: venti centesimi. The idiomatic phrase non avere un centesimo (to not have a cent) means to be completely broke. Note the stress falls on the antepenultimate syllable: cen-TEH-zee-moh, not CEN-te-si-moh.

Examples

"Non ho un centesimo in tasca."

Natural Translation

I don't have a cent in my pocket.

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