soʊ; noun, plural pe·sos 
[-sohz; Spanish -saws] .
[-sohz; Spanish -saws] . 1.
a coin and monetary unit of Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Mexico, and the Philippines, equal to 100 centavos.
2.
a coin and monetary unit of Uruguay, equal to 100 centesimos.
3.
a former monetary unit of Argentina, equal to 100 centavos: replaced by the austral in 1985.
4.
a former silver coin of Spain and Spanish America, equal to eight reals; dollar; piece of eight; piaster.
Origin:
< Spanish: literally, weight < Latin pēnsum something weighed, noun use of neuter of pēnsus, past participle of pendere to weigh
< Spanish: literally, weight < Latin pēnsum something weighed, noun use of neuter of pēnsus, past participle of pendere to weigh
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Peso
00:10
Peso
is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
peso (ˈpeɪsəʊ, Spanish ˈpeso) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -sos | |
| 1. | the standard monetary unit, comprising 100 centavos, of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the Philippines; formerly also of Guinea-Bissau, where it was replaced by the CFA franc |
| 2. | the standard monetary unit of Uruguay, divided into 100 centesimos |
| 3. | another name for piece of eight |
| [C16: from Spanish: weight, from Latin pēnsum something weighed out, from pendere to weigh] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
peso
"Spanish coin," 1555, from Sp., lit. "a weight," from L. pensum, properly pp. of pendere "to hang, to cause to hang" (see pendant). Formerly either of silver (peso de plata) or gold (peso de oro).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
peso
the monetary unit of several Latin American countries and the Philippines; it is divided into 100 centavos. The peso was introduced into Spain by the monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, who reformed the Spanish coinage system in 1497; it did not come into common use, though, until the time of Charles I (the emperor Charles V)
Learn more about peso with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Example sentences
The budget is in deficit, the current account is near zero, and the peso is overvalued.
The government's policy of keeping the peso artificially cheap means that wages in dollars are low, checking the inflow.
Third comes the peso convertible, a piece of scrip with a value pegged to that of the dollar.
If its new government floats the peso, however, the block could eventually revive.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
