peso

American  

[pey-soh, pe-saw] / ˈpeɪ soʊ, ˈpɛ sɔ /

noun

plural

pesos

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.

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peso British  

/ ˈpeso, ˈpeɪsəʊ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of peso

< Spanish: literally, weight < Latin pēnsum something weighed, noun use of neuter of pēnsus, past participle of pendere to weigh

Example Sentences

BCA Research analysts see Mexico’s stocks, peso and bond markets poised to outperform peers.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The dollar falls 0.4% to 1,487.91 won, but edges 0.1% higher to 59.55 Philippine peso, while the Australian dollar edges 0.2% higher to $0.7091, FactSet data show.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

The beleaguered peso has gained 5% against the dollar this year while Milei’s government widened the trading bands and added reserves.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

In January, the peso hit record lows against the dollar, but has since recovered ground hitting around a five-month high on Monday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Enrique asks a man standing near the tracks, “Can you give me one peso to buy some food?”

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario