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.

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ko/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.ku/

• Homophone: Chico
• Hyphenation: chi‧co

Noun

chico m (plural chicos)

1. (Brazil, colloquial) period (menstruation)
2. (Brazil, regional, colloquial) ass (the anus)
3. (Portugal, regional) pig

Derived terms

• estar de chico

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]
• Rhymes: -iko
• Syllabification: 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

Derived terms

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

Tagalog

Noun

chico

1. Alternative spelling of tsiko