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piastre

piaster

noun pee-AS-truh Rare

Origin: Italian piastra (metal plate, coin)

Also means

dollar (Quebec slang)

Usage Note

Piastre historically denoted various Middle Eastern and colonial coins; in Quebec French it is the everyday informal word for a dollar (ça coûte dix piastres = 'that costs ten bucks'). In metropolitan French it sounds archaic or exotic.

Examples

"Ça coûte juste deux piastres au marché."

Natural Translation

It only costs two bucks at the market.

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