peso

peso — noun

1. the basic form of money that people use in Mexico, the Philippines, Argentina, a

1.nounB2
Definition

the basic form of money that people use in Mexico, the Philippines, Argentina, and several countries in Latin America.

Example

We changed dollars into pesos before taking the bus in Mexico City.

change dollars into pesos

The market seller wrote the price in pesos on a cardboard sign.

price given in pesos

Common collocations
  • pay in pesos
  • peso coins
  • peso note
  • three thousand pesos
Synonyms
  • Mexican peso

    the peso used in Mexico; a country-specific type of this currency name

  • Philippine peso

    the peso used in the Philippines; used when the country must be clear

  • Argentine peso

    the peso used in Argentina; another national form of the same currency name

Grammar Patterns

one peso

twenty pesos

a fifty-peso note

Usage Note

Writers often add the country name when the exact currency matters, for example 'Mexican peso' or 'Philippine peso'. After numbers other than one, English normally uses the plural form 'pesos'.

Common Mistakes

The ticket costs 200 peso.
The ticket costs 200 pesos.
after a number greater than one, the noun is usually plural.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Peso, dollar, euro, and yen are all names of money units, but they belong to different countries or regions. Peso is used in Mexico, the Philippines, Argentina, and several other places, so people often add the country name when they need to be exact: Mexican peso, Argentine peso, or Philippine peso. Dollar is used in many countries and is often the most familiar name in international prices. Euro is the shared money unit of many European countries. Yen is the Japanese unit and usually keeps the same form after a number. For example, a meal might cost 300 pesos in Manila, but 12 dollars in Los Angeles.

peso ↗dollar ↗euro ↗yen

Common collocations

Nouns

  • peso coin
  • peso note
  • peso bill
  • peso price

Phrases

  • Mexican peso
  • Argentine peso
  • Philippine peso

Prepositions

  • in pesos

Etymology

LatinSpanishEnglish

English borrowed peso from Spanish. In Spanish, peso first meant 'weight' and comes from a verb meaning 'to weigh', which goes back to Latin. The name was later used for coins whose value was linked to a measured weight of silver, and from there it became the name of several modern currencies.