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• chico
  chico

  noun

  a boy or young man (often used as a nickname or form of address).
• Chico
  Chico

  noun

  a city in central California.

chico

¹ American  

[chee-koh] / ˈtʃi koʊ /

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.

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chico ² American  

[chee-koh] / ˈtʃi koʊ /

noun

• chicos
  plural

1. greasewood.

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Chico ³ American  

[chee-koh] / ˈtʃi koʊ /

noun

1. a city in central California.

2. a male given name.

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chico British  

/ ˈtʃiːkəʊ /

noun

1. another name for greasewood

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chicos
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of chico¹

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” ( see chinchy ( def. ))

Origin of chico²

Short for chicalote ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chico Chico chicos

Shortly afterwards, he and other young entrepreneurs doing business with the Venezuelan government were nicknamed "bolichicos", a slang term combining the words Bolivarian – referring to Chavez's socialist revolution - and chico, meaning boy.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Hola, chico: The documentary “The Boy from Medellín” gets up close and personal with Latin music superstar J Balvin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2021

Now his female colleagues call Raúl chico sensación — sensation boy!

From New York Times ● Mar. 1, 2011

“Calm down, chico, calm down. She might hear you,” Paco cautions, gesturing toward Lieutenant Rojas’s tent.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Mira, chico, that I can do with my eyes closed.

From The Five Arrows by Allan Chase

A major event in July also produced significant impacts in Chile's Norte Chico region.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026

As he approached the Alligator Hole swimming area, his vehicle slid off the road and became stuck on a mound of dirt 60 feet above a gully near Big Chico Creek, witnesses said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Or as Chico Marx famously said: “Who are you gonna believe — me, or your own eyes?”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Farmington, N.M., and Chico, Calif., followed, with prices dropping 11% and 7.6%, respectively.

From Barron's ● May 5, 2026

There were three cameras: one for the stage, one for the jury, and Chico.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli

In San Antonio the first kites jerked high in the gusty winds; tennis courts were crowded; Mexican chicos waded in the shallows of San Antonio River.

From Time Magazine Archive

The hot beans flavored with chicos and green chile were muy sabrosos.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Corn was roasted to make chicos, blue corn was ground into meal, and the rest was stored for the animals.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

“Run along, chicos, and have fun at the party. I’ll be in the kitchen serving up the best dinner you ever saw. You look wonderful, both of you, like you stepped out of a movie.”

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

Vegetables are in great plenty, and consist of pumpkins, lettuce, onions, radishes, very long squashes, etc.; of fruits, they have melons, chicos, durians, marbolas, and oranges.

From The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes by Austin Craig

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