Meaning
In informal British English, a quid means one pound sterling, and the same form quid is normally used after a number, as in five quid or twenty quid.
How it is used
Cambridge Dictionary labels quid as UK informal and defines it as a pound, with plural quid. Collins independently records the money sense as British informal or British slang for one pound sterling. In everyday speech, speakers commonly use a number directly before quid without adding a plural -s.
Examples
- “It was only ten quid.”
- “Can you lend me a couple of quid?”
- “The ticket costs about twenty quid.”
Pronunciation
/kwɪd/ · KWID
Tone and register
Informal, familiar, and extremely common in British conversation. Quid is not a formal currency label, so pound or pound sterling is clearer in official, financial, contractual, or exchange-rate contexts.
Visitor guidance
Visitors can understand ten quid as ten pounds and a few quid as a few pounds. Do not write quids after an ordinary number in this money sense; dictionaries record plural quid. Keep the money meaning separate from unrelated meanings of quid, including a piece of something chewed. For exchange rates, card charges, prices, or financial decisions, use current official or provider information rather than a language entry.
Cultural context
Quid is one of the most useful informal British money words because prices, splitting bills, casual purchases, wages, and everyday stories often use it where formal writing would use pounds. It is British-wide vocabulary rather than London-specific slang, although visitors to London will hear it frequently.
Places represented
Open the reviewed place guide for each regional sense carried by this canonical entry.