paisano
Americannoun
plural
paisanos-
a person who shares one’s place of origin; compatriot.
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Southwestern U.S.
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a person who lives in a rural area; farm laborer; rustic.
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a roadrunner.
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noun
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informal a friend; pal
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a fellow countryman
Etymology
Origin of paisano
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; from Spanish, from French paysan; see peasant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lalo said his late father and uncles taught him and his cousins a simple mantra: Siempre una mano pa’l paisano.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025
The Hector of the tale is the village mayor, a paisano whose native cunning has been reinforced by the study of Machiavelli.
From Time Magazine Archive
Like their greatest paisano, Picasso, Spanish geniuses have their roots in another century or their homes in another country.
From Time Magazine Archive
TransWorld Media Founder Larry Balma, who at times competed fiercely with Fausto, still remembers him fondly: �Fausto, fellow paisano, you are missed.
From Time Magazine Archive
Shaking his head, Papa replied sympathetically, “I am sorry. I wish I could, paisano, but we’re broke too. When I heard Papa say, “we’re broke too,” I panicked.
From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
