silver coin of Spain and some Spanish-American countries, 1811, from Spanish peseta, a diminutive of pesa "weight," from Medieval Latin pensum (see peso).
Entries linking to peseta
peso n.
"Spanish coin, the Spanish dollar," also a coin in various Spanish-American nations, 1550s, from Spanish peso, literally "a weight," from Medieval Latin pensum, properly past participle of Latin pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh; pay" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin"). For the financial sense of the Latin verb, see pound (n.1).