1. Plural of obolus; small coins of ancient Greece, each worth one-sixth of a drachma.
Usage: historical; numismatics
2. In ancient Greece, small payments or contributions, especially those given to the poor or used in religious contexts.
Usage: historical; archaic

Examples

• The museum displayed a collection of ancient Greek oboli from the 5th century BCE.
• Citizens would contribute oboli to support public festivals and religious ceremonies.
• Charon's obol, a single coin placed in the mouth of the deceased, was related to the larger oboli used in daily commerce.
• Archaeologists found scattered oboli in the ruins of the ancient marketplace.