maquiladora

[ muh-kee-luh-dawr-uh; Spanish mah-kee-ah-daw-rah ]

noun

, plural ma·qui·la·do·ras [m, uh, -kee-l, uh, -, dawr, -, uh, z, mah-kee-ah-, daw, -, r, ahs].

1. a factory run by a U.S. company in Mexico to take advantage of cheap labor and lax regulation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of maquiladora¹

1985–90; Mexican Spanish, perhaps < Spanish maquilar extract a toll

Example Sentences

Many were flagged with symptoms once they got to work, which the leader of a maquiladora association in Otay Mesa said applauded, saying it meant measures are working to identify infected individuals and prevent further spread inside factories.

From Voice of San Diego