vatu

noun

va·tu ˈvä-ˌtü

plural vatu

the basic monetary unit of Vanuatu see Money Table

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from vatu "stone" in Raga or another language of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu (going back to Proto-Oceanic *patu "stone")

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of vatu was in 1981

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

Vättern

vatu

vau

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Vatu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vatu. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

garble

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Popular Features

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden