peso

noun
pe·​so | \ ˈpā-(ˌ)sō How to pronounce peso (audio) , ˈpe-\
plural pesos

Definition of peso

1 : an old silver coin of Spain and Spanish America equal to eight reales
2 the basic monetary unit of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Phlippines, and Uruguay — see Money Table

Examples of peso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now a very small one is never less than three pesos – the equivalent of $3. Anastasia Miari, 1843, "Magic grannies are stopping Cuba going hungry," 7 Aug. 2019 Make sure to have cash (U.S. dollars or Filipino pesos) in hand, as ATMs are rare. Marianna Cerini, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Guide to Siargao: The Philippines Island Voted the Best in the World," 5 July 2019 But not long after that, runaway inflation and a sinking peso drove Argentina into the IMF’s arms. Matthew De Silva, Quartz, "Investors may regret buying those 100-year bonds from Argentina," 12 Aug. 2019 The noodle soup — which costs 84 pesos, or less than $5 — that finally hits the customer’s table is the culmination of more than nine hours of stewing and cooking and preparation. Los Angeles Times, "Birria and ramen. It just makes sense," 31 July 2019 One is the Argentine peso, which was popular with investors several years ago, thanks to the country’s sky-high yields and promise of changes. Ira Iosebashvili, WSJ, "Investors Dodge Global Worries in Currencies of Egypt, Ukraine," 20 June 2019 The comfortable victory for Duque may support further gains for the peso, which has rallied more than 4 percent this year, the most in emerging markets. Matthew Bristow, Bloomberg.com, "Colombia Elects Pro-Market Lawyer Duque in Presidential Runoff," 17 June 2018 Less than two months before Mexico's July 1 presidential election, front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is clashing with the nation's business elite in an escalating war of words that has calcified battle lines and helped send the peso tumbling. Kate Linthicum, latimes.com, "Mexico's presidential front-runner is at war with business elites who warn he'll wreck the economy," 9 May 2018 The dollar strengthened 5% against the Mexican peso in the year ended March 2019, for example, the report says. Anneken Tappe, CNN, "Foreign buyers are turning their back on American real estate," 17 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peso.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of peso

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for peso

Spanish, literally, weight, from Latin pensum — more at poise

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More Definitions for peso

peso

noun

English Language Learners Definition of peso

: the basic unit of money of several Latin-American countries and the Philippines also : a coin or bill representing one peso

peso

noun
pe·​so | \ ˈpā-sō How to pronounce peso (audio) \
plural pesos

Kids Definition of peso

1 : a bill or coin used in one of several Spanish-speaking countries of North and South America
2 : a bill or coin used in the Philippines

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