What does pluto mean?
Pluto is an informal British name for a pound sterling, the basic unit of currency in the United Kingdom. In this use, it refers to the money or denomination rather than to a particular coin or note, so a speaker might describe a price as “a pluto” or a total as costing several plutos. The term belongs to everyday, nontechnical speech and is chiefly associated with Britain, rather than formal financial writing or standard American English. It is also less widely understood outside Britain, where pound is clearer and more idiomatic. Pluto is best recognized in this slang sense, although the same spelling and pronunciation are associated with the name of the dwarf planet, making context important. Its precise historical derivation is uncertain, so the word is best treated as informal British vocabulary rather than a formal unit or accounting term.
nounAn informal British term for a pound sterling, especially one pound of money.
- An informal British term for a pound sterling.
"The secondhand bicycle cost him a pluto."
"The secondhand bicycle cost him a pluto."
"Would you lend me a pluto until payday?"
The regular plural is plutos; in informal use, a couple of plutos means two pounds.
"The tickets cost fifteen plutos altogether."
In British slang, a whole pound of money can be called a pluto.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pluto come from?
The exact historical derivation of this slang term is uncertain. It is recorded as British informal vocabulary for a pound sterling, but the origin of the particular form is not securely established.
How pluto is actually used
Informal and chiefly British; in international communication, pound is clearer and more widely understood.
Easily confused with pluto
Pound is the standard term used in British and American English, whereas pluto is an informal British alternative.