criollo

American  

[kree-oh-loh, kree-aw-yaw] / kriˈoʊ loʊ, kriˈɔ yɔ /

noun

criollos plural

1. a person born in Spanish America but of European, usually Spanish, ancestry.

2. a domestic animal of any of several strains or breeds developed in Latin America.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a criollo or criollos.

criollo British  

/ kriːˈəʊləʊ, ˈkrjoʎo /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Latin America of European descent, esp of Spanish descent

2. 1. any of various South American breeds of domestic animal

   2. ( as modifier )

      a criollo pony

3. a high-quality variety of cocoa

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a criollo or criollos

Etymology

Origin of criollo

From Spanish, dating back to 1905–10; see origin at Creole

Example Sentences

The mound of mashed fried plantains, draped with clean curls of shrimp sauteed in criollo sauce, is unapologetically — you might say gloriously — starchy.

From Washington Post • Aug. 29, 2022

Her Cuban-American family bastes the turkey in a mojo criollo marinade.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 22, 2021

Grilled, butterflied chorizo criollo on a demi-baguette smeared with chimichurri: In Argentina this sandwich tends to stop there, but we like the sautéed peppers and onions on top at the Elvio’s stand at Smorgasburg LA.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 25, 2016

Farm fresh Balinese cacao contains ahighpercentage of criollo, the rarest variety.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2011

The forastero variety includes many sub-varieties, the kind most distinct from the criollo having pods, the walls of which are thick and woody, the surface smooth, the furrows indistinct, and the shape globular.

From Cocoa and Chocolate Their History from Plantation to Consumer by Knapp, Arthur William