tester
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Sixpence. From TESTONE, a shilling in the reign of Henry VIII., but a sixpence in the time of Queen Elizabeth.—Shakspeare. French, TESTE, or TÊTE, the head of the monarch on the coin.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “tester” mean?
Sixpence. From TESTONE, a shilling in the reign of Henry VIII., but a sixpence in the time of Queen Elizabeth.—Shakspeare. French, TESTE, or TÊTE, the head of the monarch on the coin.
Is “tester” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.