chico

See also: CHICO, Chico, and chi̱co

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish chico.

Noun

chico (plural chicos)

1. (Canada, US, informal) A Latin-American boy; a Latino.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish chicozapote (through a regional abbreviation), from Nahuatl xicotzapotl. Cognate of chicle.

Noun

chico (plural chicos)

1. The fruit of the sapodilla, Manilkara zapota.

Etymology 3

Perhaps from Spanish choclo, influded by chico.

Noun

chico (plural chicos)

1. (American Southwest, chiefly in the plural) Sweet corn that has been cooked and dried on the cob.

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Portuguese

Noun

chico m (plural chicos)

1. (Brazil, regional, slang) ass (the anus)
2. (Brazil, regional, slang) period (menstruation)

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Spanish

Etymology 1

Indirectly related to Latin ciccum (“insignificant thing; trifle”); found in several Romance languages as an expressive creation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃiko/, [ˈt͡ʃi.ko]
• Hyphenation: chi‧co

Adjective

chico (feminine chica, masculine plural chicos, feminine plural chicas)

1. small

   Synonym: pequeño

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: chikí, chikitu

Noun

chico m (plural chicos, feminine chica, feminine plural chicas)

1. boy; kid

   Synonyms: cabro, chamaco, chaval, chavo, muchacho, niño

Usage notes

The noun chico is like most Spanish nouns with a human referent. The masculine forms are used when the referent is known to be male, a group of males, a group of mixed or unknown gender, or an individual of unknown or unspecified gender. The feminine forms are used if the referent is known to be female or a group of females.

Derived terms

• achicar
• chicote
• chiquear
• chiquero
• chiquillo
• chiquitico
• chiquitín
• chiquitito
• chiquito
• flamenco chico
• letra chica
• patria chica
• perra chica

 

Further reading

• “chico”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Yucatec Maya chiʼik.

Noun

chico m (plural chicos)

1. (Mexico) white-nosed coati (Nasua Narica)
2. (Mexico) raccoon (Procyon lotor)

References

• Schoenhals, Louise C. (1988) A Spanish - English Glossary of Mexican Flora and Fauna‎^[1], Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 583

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Tagalog

Noun

chico

1. Alternative spelling of tsiko