Definition

Noun: - A former currency of Portugal: The Portuguese escudo was the official monetary unit of Portugal before the country adopted the euro. It was subdivided into 100 centavos.

Usage

The word "Portuguese escudo" is used as a countable noun to refer to the former currency itself, either as a concept or in specific amounts. It is typically used in historical or financial contexts.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Before the euro, prices in Portugal were listed in Portuguese escudos.
  • He found an old coin worth five Portuguese escudos in his grandfather's collection.
  • The value of the Portuguese escudo was fixed against other European currencies before monetary union.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Reference: The term is used when discussing Portugal's economic history or the transition to the euro within the European Union.
  • The phasing out of the Portuguese escudo was a significant step in European integration.

Variants and Related Words

• Escudo: The general term for this unit of currency. "Portuguese" specifies the country of issue. Other countries, like Cape Verde, also use/used a currency called the escudo.
• Centavo: (Noun) A subunit of the Portuguese escudo, representing one hundredth of its value.
  • The coin was worth 50 centavos.

Synonyms

• Former Portuguese currency: A descriptive synonym.
• PTE: The ISO 4217 currency code formerly used for the Portuguese escudo in financial markets.

Notes on Meaning

This word has only one specific meaning: the historical monetary unit of Portugal. It is not used in idioms or phrasal verbs.

Noun

1. formerly the basic monetary unit of Portugal; equal to 100 centavo