pataca

noun

pa·​ta·​ca pə-ˈtä-kə How to pronounce pataca (audio)
the basic monetary unit of Macao see Money Table

Examples of pataca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Chinese government has in the past restricted capital flows into the semiautonomous city, which uses the Macau pataca rather than the renminbi. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 10 July 2019 Overall gambling revenue in the region rose 22 percent to 67 billion patacas ($8.34 billion) in the third quarter, the fifth in a row of year-over-year growth. Christopher Palmeri, Bloomberg.com, 26 Oct. 2017 Macau’s April casino receipts rose 16.3 percent to 20.2 billion patacas ($2.52 billion), beating the median analysts’ estimate of a 15 percent rise. Sterling Wong, Bloomberg.com, 2 May 2017 A dollar is, however, slightly more valuable than a pataca. Lucas Peterson, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2016 The Macanese pataca and Hong Kong dollar are separate currencies but virtually interchangeable in Macau. Lucas Peterson, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pataca.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pataca was in 1928

Dictionary Entries Near pataca

Cite this Entry

“Pataca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pataca. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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