peso

noun pe·so \ ˈpā-(ˌ)sō , ˈpe- \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 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

But the bank continued to sell reserves in the peso’s defence, spending $794m between June 12th and 13th.

— The Economist, "Argentina’s central-bank president resigns," 15 June 2018
Fears of a collapse of the Mexican peso have so far proved fleeting, as the national currency experienced one of its sharpest upsurges in years following Lopez Obrador’s election, thanks in part to a downturn in the value of the U.S. dollar.

— patrick j. mcdonnell, latimes.com, "Once denounced as a political threat, Lopez Obrador is now the darling of Mexico," 10 July 2018
Airport reports regularly state that international travel is growing but is depressed by U.S. political relations with Mexico and the value of the Mexican peso.

— joshua fechter, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio aviation director talks travel ban, airport construction and flying the F-22," 9 July 2018
The Argentine peso slumped 11% against the greenback in June.

— saumya vaishampayan, WSJ, "Tariff Threats Pummel Yuan in One of Its Worst Months on Record," 29 June 2018
Critics say Petro’s policies would cause inflation and a devaluation of the peso.

— christina austin, Fortune, "Why You Should Care About Colombia's Presidential Election This Weekend," 24 May 2018
Neighbors in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato flocked to a small adobe shed to buy packs of 10 for 10 pesos, Miguel said.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "Taqueria Maya owners open Mexican restaurant with a millennial twist in railyard," 12 July 2018
The peso’s slide halted after Argentina turned to the International Monetary Fund for a $50 billion credit line in June.

— yeliz candemir, WSJ, "Investors Dump Turkish Lira as They Turn Cold on Emerging Markets," 10 July 2018
The peso has slid about 10 percent since mid-April.

— nacha cattan and eric martin / bloomberg, Time, "Mexicans Go to the Polls With Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on the Brink of Historic Victory," 1 July 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

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up peso? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

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

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

cerulean

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Putting 'Myself' Where 'Me' or 'I' Usually Goes

A Deep Dive on 'Deep Dive'

10 Words for the Elitists in Your Life

The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 8/17/2018

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

The Eponym Quiz

True or False?

Citation

Trending: Manafort Guilty on 8 Charges, 'Mistrial' on Others

Putting 'Myself' Where 'Me' or 'I' Usually Goes

10 Words for the Elitists in Your Life

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

Ghost Word

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

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Trending: Manafort Guilty on 8 Charges, 'Mistrial' on Others

Putting 'Myself' Where 'Me' or 'I' Usually Goes

10 Words for the Elitists in Your Life

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

Ghost Word