piastres

Noun

piastre (plural piastres)

1. (historical) A coin and unit of currency, originally a Spanish or Spanish-American one worth eight real, later also used (with various values) in the Ottoman Empire and in Cyprus, in the French-speaking parts of Canada, and in French Indochina.
   • The Silkes, Velvets, Cloth of gold, and Tissue, Pyasters, Chicqueenes and Sultanies, which is gold and silver, they unloaded in foure and twentie houres, was wonderfull [...].1630, John Smith, True Travels, Kupperman, published 1988, page 39
2. A form of currency currently used as a subunit in the Middle Eastern and East African countries of Egypt, Jordan (partly including Palestine), Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria.
3. (Louisiana) A dollar.