cocinero

[ koh-suh-nair-oh ]

noun

, Southwestern U.S.

, plural co·ci·ne·ros.

1. a cook, especially one working on a ranch or a trail drive.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cocinero¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; from Spanish: literally, “cook,” from Medieval Latin cocīnārius, cocīnerius “cook,” noun use of Latin coquīnārius “pertaining to the kitchen”; equivalent to Spanish cocin(a) “cooking, kitchen,” from Latin coquīna “cookery, kitchen” + -ero, from Latin -ārius; cuisine, kitchen, -ary