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 ”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
A fourth treponemal disease, pinta, is caused by Treponema carateum or Treponema pallidum subsp. carateum.
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
During the three years he absented himself from home, he learned to play at sheepshanks in Madrid, at rentoy in the public-houses of Toledo, and at presa y pinta in the barbacans of Seville.
From The Exemplary Novels of Cervantes by Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de
He said the body of Nattapong Pinta was retrieved during a special operation in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Friday.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
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
There are three fishing boats in the distance—the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
