peso

noun pe·so \ ˈpā-(ˌ)sō , ˈpe- \

|Updated on: 10 Jun 2018

Definition of peso

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, Phlippines, and Uruguay — see Money Table

See peso defined for English-language learners

See peso defined for kids

Recent Examples of peso from the Web

Kudlow’s comments triggered an immediate jump in the value of the dollar against the Mexican peso and the Canadian dollar, a sign of investor concern about the strength of those countries’ economies.

— ana swanson and jim tankersley, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump signals he wants separate trade deals with Canada and Mexico," 6 June 2018
Uncontrolled government spending under populist leaders led Mexico to major economic upheavals and peso devaluations in 1976 and 1982.

— juan montes, WSJ, "Mexico Front-Runner’s Ambitious Plan Depends on ‘Economizer-in-Chief’," 4 June 2018
The peso, which had been tied to the dollar, lost nearly 70 percent of its value.

— luis andres henao, Fox News, "Argentines haunted by memories of crisis oppose IMF's help," 11 May 2018
Over the 1990s, the IMF poured money into Argentina’s struggling economy, backing a risky government policy that pegged the peso to the dollar.

— ciara nugent, Time, "Why Argentina’s Talks With the IMF Are Enraging the Country," 11 May 2018
That has put upward pressure on the United States dollar, and has resulted in a slide for the peso.

— New York Times, "Argentina Raises Key Rate to 40%, Bringing Economic Uncertainty," 4 May 2018
The political climate and peso devaluation contributed to that slump, aviation director Russ Handy said.

— joshua fechter, San Antonio Express-News, "‘Trump effect’ on international tourism? San Antonio, Texas see mixed results," 2 Mar. 2018
The Argentine peso plunged more than 20 percent, before the central bank lifted interest rates to 40 percent.

— New York Times, "Emerging Markets Are Worrying Investors, Again," 23 May 2018
The dollar, according to Expedia's analysis, has appreciated by about 50% compared with the Argentinian peso.

— adam shell, USA TODAY, "Pull out your passport: A rising dollar eases the cost of summer travel overseas," 23 May 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of peso

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1555

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

PESO Defined for English Language Learners

peso

noun

Definition of peso for English Language Learners

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

PESO Defined for Kids

peso

noun pe·so \ ˈpā-sō \

Definition of peso for Students

plural pesos

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

Learn More about peso

Spanish Central: Translation of peso Nglish: Translation of peso for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of peso for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about peso

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peso

Definition of peso

Recent Examples of peso from the Web

Origin and Etymology of peso

PESO Defined for English Language Learners

peso

Definition of peso for English Language Learners

PESO Defined for Kids

peso

Definition of peso for Students

Learn More about peso

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