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

Arteaga was baffled to discover that many landlords in Tijuana charge rent in U.S. dollars instead of pesos. —Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 July 2025

The Philippine peso weakened by 0.49% to 58.494, while the Malaysian ringgit depreciated by 0.42% to 4.278. —Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 31 July 2025

Mexico came in third on the list in part due to a strong 6.4 percent increase in its currency (the Mexican peso) against the dollar. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2025

The prime minister also announced a modest increase in state pensions, which will double the amount earned by those receiving the minimum (1,528 pesos monthly). —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 16 July 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