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pi·as·ter also pi·as·tre

(pē-ăstər, -ästər)

1. A unit of currency equal to ¹/₁₀₀ of the primary unit of currency in Egypt and various other countries of the Middle East.

2. Piece of eight.

[French piastre, from Italian piastra, thin metal plate, from Latin emplastrum, medical dressing; see PLASTER.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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