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

Inflected Forms

noun

• charros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of charro

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

Example Sentences

As if that weren’t enough, you see a charro rider in the background.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2023

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

They were playing when Joe Kelly, another former Dodgers pitcher, asked if any of the mariachi members would trade one of their jackets — a thoroughly embroidered navy charro — for one of his jerseys.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 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

His desires had moved to motorcycles and cars, but Lupita could see that the glamorous charro still held a place in his heart.

From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty