guacamole

American  

[gwah-kuh-moh-lee, gwah-kah-maw-le] / gwɑ kəˈmoʊ li, ˌgwɑ kɑˈmɔ lɛ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

1. a dip of mashed avocado mixed with tomato, onion, and seasonings.

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guacamole British  

/ ˌɡwɑːkəˈməʊlɪ /

noun

1. a spread of mashed avocado, tomato pulp, mayonnaise, and seasoning

2. any of various Mexican or South American salads containing avocado

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Etymology

Origin of guacamole

1915–20; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl āhuacamōlli literally, avocado sauce; avocado, mole ⁶

Explanation

Guacamole is an avocado-based dip that's served with tortilla chips at Mexican restaurants. You can often also order your burrito or taco with extra guacamole. Guacamole dates from at least the 1500s, when it was made by the Aztecs in Mexico. Guacamole is a Spanish word that's based on the Aztec language Nahuatl's ahuaca-molli, a combination of ahuacatl, "avocado," and molli, "sauce." In the United States, guacamole has surged in popularity over the last several decades, with avocados especially in demand right before Super Bowl Sunday and Cinco de Mayo.

Example Sentences

There’s an order from my local taqueria: a small bag of chips, a small plastic cup of guacamole, and two medium-sized burritos totaled $52.18.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2026

Heading into Super Bowl weekend, here is some good news: Avocado prices are way down, and that means guacamole will be cheaper than last year.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 7, 2026

For most of the past week, that referred almost entirely to the salsa, guacamole, and blue cheese dressing for Super Bowl snacks.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Fetching ingredients from a fridge decorated with magnetic letters and arts and crafts, Linda preps homemade guacamole to go with ceviche from the market.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 11, 2025

I started to pull out the tiny cilantro leaves that were ruining my perfectly good guacamole.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez