Florin flor·in ˈflôrən,ˈflärən/ noun noun: florin; plural noun: florins 1. a former British coin and monetary unit worth two shillings. 2. a foreign coin of gold or silver, especially a Dutch guilder. 3. the basic monetary unit of Aruba, equal to 100 cents. via Old French from Italian fiorino, diminutive of fiore 'flower,' from Latin flos, flor- . The word originally denoted a gold coin issued in Florence, bearing a fleur-de-lis (the city's emblem) on the reverse.