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peso

noun
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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 Argentina’s peso has weakened with the country in the midst of an economic crisis. — New York Times, "Trump Says U.S. Will Impose Metal Tariffs on Brazil and Argentina," 2 Dec. 2019 Under the plan, the country would sell 6 million raffle tickets at 500 pesos each ($27). — Lorena Rios, BostonGlobe.com, "For a $27 raffle ticket, you could win Mexico’s presidential jet," 21 Jan. 2020 The real is down 8% and the peso has plummeted more than 37%, not least because of its turbulent political and economic situation. — Anneken Tappe, CNN, "American manufacturing sector contracts fourth month in a row," 2 Dec. 2019 Children in Mexico go door to door for handmade skull candies called calaveritas made of sugar or chocolate, or a few pesos. — Jeff Suess, Cincinnati.com, "Day of the Dead mixes with Halloween," 31 Oct. 2019 Defaulting on more than US$100 billion in loans, the Argentine government in late 2001 was forced to freeze bank accounts for weeks and abandon its policy of pegging the peso’s value to that of the dollar. — Jennifer Pribble, The Conversation, "Argentina elects new president on promises to fix economy and unify a struggling nation," 28 Oct. 2019 Recent unrest in the country has caused the Chilean peso to decrease in value, according to global financial portal Investing.com. — Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, "Four American Airlines flight attendants arrested at Miami airport, accused of money laundering," 23 Oct. 2019 Farmers earned as little as 100 pesos per day (less than $2). — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, "Philippine Peasants Were Promised Land. Staking a Claim Can Be Deadly.," 27 Dec. 2019 And voters are split on which leader—Macri or Kirchner—deserves more blame for Argentina’s current economic crisis, which has sent the value of the peso plunging and inflation soaring. — Lindzi Wessel, Science | AAAS, "Argentine scientists rally behind favorite in Sunday’s presidential election," 25 Oct. 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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Statistics for peso

Last Updated

18 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Peso.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peso. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for peso

peso

noun
How to pronounce peso (audio)

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

See the full definition for peso in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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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More from Merriam-Webster on 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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