peseta

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, peseta is the exact historical name of Spain's former currency, not a general word for money. Euro is the modern currency used in Spain now, so use euro for present-day prices and peseta for older ones. Peso is related in form and belongs to several Spanish-speaking countries, but it names a different money system. Franc and lira are helpful comparisons because they are also traditional European currency names tied to particular countries or periods. Peseta often appears in museum notes, family memories, and books about travel before 2002. Say 'The train ticket cost 300 pesetas in 1995,' but 'The ticket costs 3 euros today.'

Common collocations

Etymology

English borrowed peseta from Spanish. In Spanish, it was a smaller form related to peso, a word connected with weight. That history goes back to Latin roots meaning 'to weigh'.