in antiquity, a very small brass coin in use among the Romans.

The inconvenience of such very small pieces being soon found, the teruncius became disused, but its name is still re- tained in reckoning, and thus it became a money of account. The teruncius at first was a quarter of the as, or libra; hence, as the as contained twelve ounces, the teruncius con- tained three, whence the name, which is formed of the La- tin tres unciae. Teruncius was also used for the quarter of the denarius; so that when the denarius was at ten ases, the teruncius was worth two and a half; and when the denarius was risen to fifteen, the teruncius was worth four. See De- narius.