peseta

[ puh-sey-tuh; Spanish pe-se-tah ]

noun

, plural pe·se·tas [p, uh, -, sey, -t, uh, z, pe-, se, -tahs].

1. a bronze coin and monetary unit of Spain and Andorra until the euro was adopted, equal to 100 centimos. : P., Pta.
2. a former silver coin of Spain and Spanish America, equal to two reals; pistareen.
3. a former monetary unit of Equatorial Guinea: replaced by the ekuele in 1973.

peseta

/ peˈseta; pəˈseɪtə /

noun

1. the former standard monetary unit of Spain and Andorra, divided into 100 céntimos; replaced by the euro in 2002

Word History and Origins

Origin of peseta¹

1805–15; < Spanish, diminutive of pesa a weight. See peso

Word History and Origins

Origin of peseta¹

C19: from Spanish, diminutive of peso

Example Sentences

An investigation was begun and evidence was collected from the scene, including fingerprints, clothes, the telephone, the clumps of hair pulled from the victim's head and £1,000 in Spanish pesetas.

From BBC

Detectives listened as Madrid recounted how he and others had confronted Bernal inside the destroyer, calling him a “peseta” — slang for someone who has cooperated with the police, Flores testified.

From Los Angeles Times

But the case of Mr. Solà was different: Ms. Marí recalled her family was paid nearly double the normal amount for care, 300 pesetas per month, a large sum to them at the time.

From New York Times

The price to Bayonne had been fixed at a hundred and fifty pesetas.

From Literature

That makes him the Andalusian club’s second most expensive transfer ever after it spent the equivalent of 30 million euros in Spanish pesetas for Denilson in 1998.

From Washington Times