pachuco
[ puh-choo-koh; Spanish pah-choo-kaw ]
noun,plural pa·chu·cos [puh-choo-kohz; Spanish pah-choo-kaws]. /pəˈtʃu koʊz; Spanish pɑˈtʃu kɔs/.
a Mexican American member of a young street gang subculture popular during the first half of the 20th century and known for its flamboyant style and fashion, similar in many ways to the zoot-suit subculture.
Origin of pachuco
1First recorded in 1940–45; from Spanish (Mexico, southwestern U.S.) : probably originally a resident of El Paso, Texas, equivalent to (El) Pas(o) + -uco pejorative noun suffix, with expressive replacement of s by ch; compare Mexican Spanish pachuco “worthless card hand,” derivative of paso “pass”
Words Nearby pachuco
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for Pachuco
Pachuco
/ (pəˈtʃuːkəʊ) /
nounplural -cos
US a young Mexican living in the US, esp one of low social status who belongs to a street gang
Origin of Pachuco
1C20: 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
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