piaster

/pi'æstə/ Cách viết khác : (piastre) /pi'æstə/

Thân thiện

A shopkeeper counts out several piasters for a customer.

Definition

Noun: 1. A unit of currency: A piaster is a fractional monetary unit (a subunit of a main currency) used historically and in some present-day countries. Its value is typically 1/100 of the main unit, such as the lira or pound. 2. A coin: The term can also refer to a specific coin of this value.

Usage

• The piaster is used as a subdivision of the national currency in several countries.
• It is often written with symbols like "pt" or "¢" in local contexts.
• When discussing historical trade, "piaster" might refer to specific silver coins like the Spanish dollar.

Examples

• In Turkey, 100 piasters equal 1 lira.
• The price was listed as 75 piasters and 50 piasters.
• He needed change for a pound, so he asked for 100 piasters.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term originates from the Spanish "peso" or "piece of eight," a silver coin widely used in international trade from the 16th to 19th centuries. In this context, "piaster" often refers to these old Spanish or Spanish colonial silver dollars.
• Regional Variations: While the basic fractional unit concept is consistent, the spelling, local name, and precise usage can vary by country (e.g., in French-influenced areas, in some Arabic-speaking regions).

Variants and Related Words

• Piastre: The more common French and alternative English spelling.
• Qirsh (also Qurush, Ghirsh): The Arabic name for the same fractional unit, used in various forms across the Middle East and North Africa.
• Kurus (also Kuruş): The Turkish name for the piaster.

Synonyms

• Cent: A general term for a 1/100 subunit of a currency (e.g., dollar cent, euro cent).
• Subunit: The technical term for a fractional monetary unit.

Related Phrases

(Note: "Piaster" itself is not typically used in phrasal verbs or idioms. It is a specific unit of currency.) - Not a piaster to one's name: An idiom meaning to have no money at all. (This is a less common variant of "not a penny to one's name"). - After the business failed, he didn't have a piaster to his name.

Học thuật

Noun

1. 100 kurus equal 1 lira in Turkey
2. a fractional monetary unit in Egypt and Lebanon and Sudan and Syria

Từ đồng nghĩa

• kurus
• piastre