peso

noun

pe·​so ˈpā-(ˌ)sō 

ˈpe-

plural pesos

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, Philippines, and Uruguay see Money Table

Examples of peso in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The peso had wobbled in recent days after a regional election spurred fears Milei would underperform in the midterm vote, prompting a $20 billion bailout promise from the US, which sees him as an ally. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025

As recently as last Tuesday, Argentina’s peso had slumped to a record low, and its bonds were selling off as traders prepared for the weekend election. —Daniel Flatley, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2025

The Argentine peso surged as much as 10% against the US dollar before paring gains. —John Towfighi, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2025

The value of the Argentine peso also strengthened considerably on Monday, a show of confidence from the markets after Milei's victory. —NPR, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

peso

noun

pe·​so ˈpā-sō 

plural pesos

1

: an old silver coin of Spain or Spanish America

2

a

: the basic unit of money of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, and Uruguay

b

: a coin or bill representing one peso