Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A unit of currency equal to 1/100 of the rupee in India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A subdivision of currency, equal to a 1/100th of a rupee in various Asian countries.
  • noun historical (British India) A subdivision of currency equivalent to 1/64th of a rupee.
  • noun A subdivision of currency, equal to a 1/100th of a Bangladeshi taka.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a fractional monetary unit in Bangladesh and India and Nepal and Pakistan

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Hindi paisā, from Sanskrit *padāṁśaḥ, quarter part : padam, foot, quarter (of a verse); see ped- in Indo-European roots + aṁśaḥ, portion; see nek- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Hindi पैसा (paisā).

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Examples

  • So, only in the case where your contract says that your termination charge is more than 20 paisa, that is only where you will get hit, so it is no easy to work out, however this will impact Bharti.

    Moneycontrol Top Headlines 2009

  • When he does play with anything it is to caress lovingly the "paisa" or pieces of money that he last earned, not to improve his dexterity but because they will give him a good meal, a cup of arak, (or intoxicating liquor) and a long lazy sleep.

    Indian Conjuring 1912

  • The government will take something, and then give you something, says the local big man, surrounded by his coterie of fawning cops and muscle men, and a reluctant compact is made between 'paisa' and 'jaan.'

    Top Headlines 2010

  • Their music knowledge is extremely limited; outside of reggaeton, "paisa" (Mexican pop music), and the latest US fads, they know nothing else.

    unknown title 2009

  • Even if regulations changed to allow voice over IP VOIP, it would be next to impossible for Reliance to match Airtel's incremental cost of producing one minute of voice--7 paisa!

    India's Telco Battle Pits Ambani Against Mittal 2011

  • Its full paisa vasool especially for our parents generation as it is do to with their memories of villages where they grew up.

    Archive 2009-04-01 Anjali 2009

  • Its full paisa vasool especially for our parents generation as it is do to with their memories of villages where they grew up.

    Vangya.cha Rassa DaNya.cha Koot Lavun Anjali 2009

  • In Kerala state in South India even small grocery stores in remote villages charge 25 paisa per plastic bag.

    Matthew Yglesias » Bag Tax 2010

  • Then Sopo, where the main dairy plant in this region exists (Antioquia has more dairy than Cundinamarca has, but I learned nothing of the paisa production).

    The Cheese Run « Unknowing 2010

  • She and her family live in Pereira and so are considered “paisa.”

    6 A Colombian Family « Unknowing 2010

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