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

Asian currency strength may give some relief to currencies such as the Philippine peso, Indian rupee and Indonesian rupiah that have been weakening. —Marcus Wong, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026

Using metal as a pick is rare, but not unheard of – Brian May (Queen) uses an old English sixpence, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) has had a peso in his picking hand, there's Eddie Van Halen of course, and Phil Collen (Def Leppard) has rocked the bright attack of metal on metal too. —New Atlas, 19 Jan. 2026

Since 2020, Cuba’s GDP has shrunk by 11%, while the value of the Cuban peso continues to fall. —Joseph J. Gonzalez, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026

Since 2020, Cuba’s GDP has shrunk by 11%, while the value of the Cuban peso continues to fall. —Joseph J. Gonzalez, The Conversation, 7 Jan. 2026

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