Grosso
/ˈɡrɔs.so/noun
An Italian adjective and noun meaning “big,” “thick,” or “gross,” and historically a silver coin.
Did you know?The famous medieval coin called a grosso was named for being a “thick” or “large” silver piece, and that money-word helped spread the same root across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰreh₁-
“to grow, become big”
Latin
Latin
grossus
“thick, bulky, coarse”
Medieval Latin
Latin
grossus
“a large or thick silver coin”
Old Italian
Italian
grosso
“thick, large; a large coin”
Modern Italian
Italian
grosso
“big, thick; a grosso coin or unit in historical contexts”