Chico

¹

[chee-koh]

noun

1. a city in central California.

2. a male given name.

chico

²

[chee-koh]

noun

plural

chicos 

1. greasewood.

chico

³

[chee-koh]

noun

1. Informal.,  a boy or young man (often used as a nickname or form of address).

   Sorry, chico, but that’s not the killer argument you’d like to think it is!

   We hoped we looked like just a couple of laid-back chicos out for a stroll.

chico

/ ˈtʃiːkəʊ /

noun

1. another name for greasewood

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chico¹

Short for chicalote ( def. )

Origin of Chico²

First recorded in 1965–70; from Spanish: “boy,” of expressive origin, representing a common Romance stem found in words for small things; compare Latin ciccum “bagatelle, trifle, worthless object” ( chinchy ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

Amy Gonzales, Cal Fresh director at Chico State, has repeatedly requested CalFresh participation data from her local social services department in Butte County.

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If they had that data, she said, they wouldn’t deny Chico State’s access.

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With access to data, Gonzales said, the CalFresh program at Chico State could improve its outreach initiatives.

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At Chico State, she partners with some of the college’s academic programs and workplaces to find students eligible for CalFresh.

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In assessing the community in 2008, the Chico Enterprise Record wrote: “Part of the reason Berry Creek residents choose to live where they do is because they are an independent lot, who rebel at being told what to do.”

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