01 n. Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minae or 6,000 drachmae. The Attic talent, as a weight, was abo…
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Among the ancient Greeks, a weight and a denomination of money equal to 60 minae or 6,000 drachmae. The Attic talent, as a weight, was about 57 lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver money, its value was £243 15s. sterling, or about $1,180 (using 1900 values).“Rowing vessel whose burden does not exceed five hundred talents.” — Jowett (Thucid.).
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Among the Hebrews, a weight and denomination of money. For silver it was equivalent to 3,000 shekels, and in weight was equal to about 93<frac:3_4/ lbs. avoirdupois; as a denomination of silver, it has been variously estimated at from £340 to £396 sterling, or about $1,645 to $1,916 (ca. 1900). For gold it was equal to 10,000 gold shekels.
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Inclination; will; disposition; desire.[Obs.]“They rather counseled you to your talent than to your profit.” — Chaucer.
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Intellectual ability, natural or acquired; mental endowment or capacity; skill in accomplishing; a special gift, particularly in business, art, or the like; faculty; a use of the word probably originating in the Scripture parable of the talents (Matt. xxv. 14-30).“He is chiefly to be considered in his three different talents, as a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes.” — Dryden.“His talents, his accomplishments, his graceful manners, made him generally popular.” — Macaulay.