mariachi

[mahr-ee-ah-chee; Spanish mah-ryah-chee]

adjective

pertaining to traditional Mexican dance music, usually played by a small band of strolling musicians dressed in native costumes.

noun, plural ma·ri·a·chis

[mahr-ee-ah-cheez; Spanish mah-ryah-chees] /ˌmɑr iˈɑ tʃiz; Spanish mɑˈryɑ tʃis/.

a member of such a band.
the music played by such a band.

Origin of mariachi

1940–45; < Mexican Spanish mariache, mariachi, perhaps < French mariage marriage; the music is said to have been played at weddings in the state of Jalisco, where it originated

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for mariachi

Contemporary Examples of mariachi

Inside, guests reported, a mariachi band played, and Kissinger was regaled with a slew of speeches.
Staking Out Kissinger’s 90th-Birthday Party
Nina Strochlic
June 4, 2013

British Dictionary definitions for mariachi

mariachi

noun

a small ensemble of street musicians in Mexico

Word Origin for mariachi

C20: from Mexican Spanish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mariachi

"Mexican strolling musical band," 1941, from Mexican Spanish, from French mariage "marriage" (see marriage), so called because such bands performed at wedding celebrations. As an adjective by 1967.