charro

American  

[chahr-oh, chahr-raw] / ˈtʃɑr oʊ, ˈtʃɑr rɔ /

noun

charros plural

1. a Mexican horseman or cowboy, typically one wearing an elaborate outfit, often with silver decorations, of tight trousers, ruffled shirt, short jacket, and sombrero.

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Usage

What is a charro? Charro is used to describe something related to Mexican horsemen, such as their costumes, or to Mexican ranch culture, such as charro frijoles (beans), a soup-like dish made of pinto beans, onions, garlic, and bacon or pork belly. A charro is a traditional Mexican horseman whose costume usually consists of tight pants, a ruffled shirt or jacket, a large hat, and silver ornaments and decorations. They were originally known to be skilled ranchers and horsemen. Charros from different haciendas would compete in local charreadas to test their skills. The competitions grew to become traveling festivals that featured food, music, and competitions. In Mexican pop culture, charros are similar to cowboys in American pop culture, but they are celebrated as being ornamental and flashy. Charros are known to wear elaborate outfits with a lot of decorations, accents, frills, embroidered designs, and more. Perhaps the most recognizable part of traditional charro fashion is the large, wide-brimmed charro hat, the sombrero de charro. Example: The new food truck serves all my favorite charro foods, especially charro beans.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• charros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of charro

1925–30; < Mexican Spanish; Spanish: rustic, countrylike < Basque txar poor, weak

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

charro charros

His uncles started a group called Banda La Movida, and Vallejo is still teaching himself acoustic guitar when he’s not apprenticing as a hat maker at Márquez Clásico, crafting tejanas and sombreros de charro.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

He said although the L.A. ordinance would have minimal immediate effect — only about a handful of charro events take place within city limits every year — the harm would come later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2022

The mariachi members stood quietly to the side in their black-and-silver trajes de charro, the girls in matching red lipstick and sparkling chandelier earrings.

From New York Times ● Nov. 3, 2022

Performing live and appearing in nearly 40 movies, Mr. Fernández cultivated an image as a charro, a traditional horseman, singing in the saddle at times like Gene Autry or Roy Rogers.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 12, 2021

A charro hat, big and wide, glistening with gold and silver braid.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty

Politicians, teenagers, dancers and charros, or men riding dancing horses, shouted, “Viva Mexico!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2025

Having grown up in a family of Mexican horse riders, or charros, Dr. Urbiola was taught that inflicting pain and fear was the way to dominate, or break, a horse.

From New York Times ● May 9, 2023

“The first, quote, rodeo was in Texas, but the charros and the vaqueros did competitions like this starting back before California was a state. So the history in LA is huge.”

From Washington Times ● Feb. 21, 2022

On the West Coast, there are about 3,200 registered charros, where men compete in nine events, and about 800 registered escaramuzas, where teams of eight women compete in fast-paced, synchronized routines on horseback.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 31, 2021

But charros were not poor cowboys but rich men, and Salvador had learned that he, a fisherman’s son, could never become one.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty