piastre

plural piastres · alternative piaster · alternative pyaster

1. historicalA 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. LouisianaA dollar.