a fractional monetary unit of several countries
"When visiting Belgium, I learned that locals often refer to the euro subdivision as a cent rather than saying hundredth of an euro."
A subunit of currency equal to one-hundredth of the main unit of currency in many countries. Symbol: ¢.
"She carefully counted out fifty cents from her pocket to buy a candy bar."
In plain English: A cent is one-hundredth of a dollar, which is the smallest unit of money used in the United States.
"She found an old penny on the sidewalk and kept it as a lucky cent for her jar."
Usage: Use "cent" to refer to a monetary unit worth one-hundredth of a dollar or other major currency, often seen on price tags or receipts. It is incorrect to use this word when describing time periods or non-monetary fractions.
The word "cent" comes directly from the Latin word for one hundred and traveled into English through Old French without changing its original meaning. Its roots go back even further to a common ancestor shared by many Indo-European languages.