n. Any of several alloys of precious metals and base metals that is used (where legal) to make coins, medals etc.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. An alloy of gold and silver with a large proportion of copper or other base metal, used in coinage.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. Gold or silver alloyed with copper in large proportions, so as to make a base metal.
n. Coin struck from an alloy over half copper.
Word Usage
"By the end of our first year in office, the economy was beginning to recover and by our second budget, for fiscal 1979, we had cut the federal deficit almost by half, to $40 billon."