piece of eight

American  

noun

1. peso.

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piece of eight British  

noun

1. a former Spanish coin worth eight reals; peso

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Etymology

Origin of piece of eight

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

It was a Spanish piece of eight," said Historian Truman, "and it was thrown across the Rappahannock .

From Time Magazine Archive

A real de plata was one-eighth of a peso or piece of eight.

From The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVII Century by Haring, Clarence Henry

The most probable is that it is a modification of the figure 8, denoting the famous "piece of eight" of pirate lore, a Spanish silver piece of the value of our dollar.

From Harper's Round Table, September 24, 1895 by Various

After 1537 a handsome silver coin, known as the peso fuerte or "piece of eight" because each contained eight reals, was minted in America.

From The Age of the Reformation by Smith, Preserved

But if we break up the piece of eight links, these eight will join together the remaining eight pieces at a cost of 2s.

From Amusements in Mathematics by Dudeney, Henry Ernest