Caló

Sometimes ca·ló

[kuh-loh, kah-law]

noun

1. a variety of Spanish influenced by Mexican underworld argot with a large admixture of English words, spoken especially by Mexican Americans in cities of the southwestern United States.

2. a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Roma.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Caló¹

First recorded in 1840–45 Caló for def. 2, and in 1945–50 Caló for def. 1; from Spanish, from Romani