monacillo

[ mon-uh-see-oh; Spanish maw-nah-see-yaw ]

/ ˌmɒn əˈsi oʊ; Spanish ˌmɔ nɑˈsi yɔ /

noun, plural mo·na·cil·los [mon-uh-see-ohz; Spanish maw-nah-see-yaws] /ˌmɒn əˈsi oʊz; Spanish ˌmɔ nɑˈsi yɔs/.

a low shrub, Malvaviscus arboreus, of tropical America, having scarlet flowers and berrylike fruit that is sticky when young.

Nearby words

monacan, monacetin, monachal, monachism, monacid, monacillo, monaco, monad, monadelphous, monades, monadic

Origin of monacillo

< American Spanish, Spanish: literally, altar-boy, earlier monazillo, monaziello < Vulgar Latin *monachellus, equivalent to Late Latin monach(us) monk + -ellus diminutive suffix; see -elle