Jump To:

• pinta
  pinta

  noun

  a nonvenereal treponematosis occurring chiefly in Central and South America, caused by Treponema carateum, characterized by spots of various colors on the skin.
• Pinta
  Pinta

  noun

  one of the three ships under the command of Columbus during his first voyage to America in 1492.

pinta

¹ American  

[pin-tuh, peen-tah] / ˈpɪn tə, ˈpin tɑ /

noun

Pathology.

• pintas
  plural

1. a nonvenereal treponematosis occurring chiefly in Central and South America, caused by Treponema carateum, characterized by spots of various colors on the skin.

---

Pinta ² American  

[pin-tuh, peen-tah] / ˈpɪn tə, ˈpin tɑ /

noun

1. one of the three ships under the command of Columbus during his first voyage to America in 1492.

---

Pinta ¹ British  

/ ˈpɪntə /

noun

1. one of the three ships commanded by Columbus on his first voyage to America (1492)

---

pinta ² British  

/ ˈpɪntə /

noun

1. Also called: mal de pinto.  a tropical infectious skin disease caused by the bacterium Treponema carateum and characterized by the formation of papules and loss of pigmentation in circumscribed areas

---

pinta ³ British  

/ ˈpaɪntə /

noun

1. informal a pint of milk

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pintas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pinta

First recorded in 1815–25; from South American Spanish, special use of Spanish pinta “spot,” from Vulgar Latin pincta, (unattested) feminine of pinctus (unattested), nasalized variant of Latin pictus, past participle of pingere “to paint ”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pinta Pinta

A fourth treponemal disease, pinta, is caused by Treponema carateum or Treponema pallidum subsp. carateum.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 26, 2026

No complete genome of the pathogen responsible for pinta has yet been recovered, which leaves questions about its evolutionary relationships and classification.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 26, 2026

One was the papa pinta boca: the mouth-painting potato, which has velvety purple skin.

From The New Yorker ● Apr. 4, 2016

She appeared in television advertisements for the Dairy Council as the "drinka pinta milka day" girl.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2015

Remarks.—These colorful squirrels were taken in thick timber and brush, and locally are referred to as "ardilla pinta" or "ardilla colorada."

From Mammals from Tamaulipas, Mexico by Rollin H. (Rollin Harold) Baker

That has given Narissara Chanthasang fresh hope - her husband, Nattapong Pinta, is still a Hamas hostage.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2023

On August 3, 1492, Columbus left Spain with three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

From DOGO News ● Oct. 2, 2023

It became increasingly popular as a replacement for Columbus Day, which was meant to celebrate the explorer who sailed with a crew from Spain in three ships, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, in 1492.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2022

Even the story of his ship names is false: The Niña and the Pinta you were told about in school?

From Washington Times ● Jul. 8, 2020

Both Columbus and the lookout on the Pinta.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton