I.a thing that one uses or needs: in pl. goods, property, money, gear, chattels, Od., Hes., etc.; πρόβατα καὶ ἄλλα χρ. Xen.; κρείσσων χρημάτων superior to money, i. e. incorruptible, Thuc.; χρημάτων ἀδωρότατος id=Thuc.:—rare in sg. in this sense, ἐπὶ κόσῳ χρήματι; for how much money? Answ. ἐπ᾽ οὐδενί, Hdt.
II.generally, a thing, matter, affair, event, Hes., Hdt.; κινεῖν πᾶν χρῆμα "to leave no stone unturned, " Hdt.:—of a battle, an affair, Plut.
2.χρῆμα is often expressed where it might be omitted, δεινὸν χρ. ἐποιεῦντο Hdt.; ἐς ἀφανὲς χρ. ἀποστέλλειν ἀποικίαν to send out a colony without any certain destination, id=Hdt.; τί χρῆμα; like τί; what? τί χρῆμα δρᾷς; Soph.; τί χρῆμα πάσχω; τί δ᾽ ἐστὶ χρῆμα; what is the matter? Aesch., etc.
3.used in periphrases to express something strange or extraordinary, μέγα συὸς χρῆμα a monster of a boar, Hdt.; τὸ χρ. τῶν νυκτῶν ὅσον what a terrible length the nights are, Ar.: λιπαρὸν τὸ χρ. τῆς πόλεως what a grand city! id=Ar.; κλέπτον τὸ χρ. τἀνδρός a thievish sort of fellow, id=Ar.; σοφόν τοι χρῆμ᾽ ἄνθρωπος truly a clever creature is he! Theocr.:—so, to express a great number, as we say, a lot, a deal, a heap, πολλόν τι χρ. τῶν ὀφίων, χρ. πολλὸν νεῶν Hdt.; ὅσον τὸ χρ. παρνόπων what a lot of locusts! Ar.; ὅσον τὸ χρ. πλακοῦντος id=Ar.; τὸ χρ. τῶν κόπων ὅσον what a lot of them! id=Ar.; —also of persons, χρῆμα θηλειῶν woman kind, Eur.; μέγα χρ. Λακαινᾶν Theocr.