piastre

/ pɪˈæstə /

noun

1. (formerly) the standard monetary unit of South Vietnam, divided into 100 cents
2. a fractional monetary unit of Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria worth one hundredth of a pound; formerly also used in the Sudan
3. See kuruş
   another name for kuruş
4. See piece of eight
   a rare word for piece of eight

Word History and Origins

Origin of piastre¹

C17: from French piastre, from Italian piastra d'argento silver plate; related to Italian piastro plaster

Example Sentences

Give him that five piastre piece that looks like a large shilling and listen to his quaint expressive English.

From Project Gutenberg

Then the Englishman stood up, gave me a piastre, and offered his arm to Carmen, as if she couldn't have walked alone.

From Project Gutenberg

Every adult male native is obliged to pay annually one Spanish piastre, or to give five days' labour for their repair.

From Project Gutenberg

The rum of commerce (from 22 to 23 degrees) is sold at one Spanish piastre the gallon.

From Project Gutenberg

For every olive-tree the owner must pay a piastre, or a piastre and a half; and the same sum for an orange or lemon tree.

From Project Gutenberg