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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

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. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chico Chico chicos

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

Then, at the hotel, I consulted with a capable young office-lady, who tardily developed a knowledge of English, and we agreed that it would be well to send the chico to the post-office for it.

From Familiar Spanish Travels by William Dean Howells

"Take me directly to the Jefferson Hotel, chico," he said.

From The Five Arrows by Allan Chase

The rice, according to co-owner Andrew Pettingell, comes from a regenerative farm in Chico.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

I love topping it with Topo Chico for the soda’s minerality and extra fizziness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

As officers entered the building, “the suspect fled out the back of the library, where Chico police officers had already set a perimeter and were able to take him into custody shortly thereafter,” Aldridge said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

The need for nets, in Haas’s view, gave the inland cities the whip hand—Norte Chico was based on farming, like all other complex societies, although not on farming for food.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

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

Around this toothpick-holder are placed glass fruit-trays from which rise pyramids of oranges, lansons, ates, chicos, and even mangos in spite of the fact that it is November.

From The Social Cancer by Charles E. Derbyshire