palomino

American  

[pal-uh-mee-noh] / ˌpæl əˈmi noʊ /

noun

plural

palominos

1. a horse with a golden coat, a white mane and tail, and often white markings on the face and legs, developed chiefly in the southwestern U.S.

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palomino British  

/ ˌpæləˈmiːnəʊ /

noun

1. a golden horse with a cream or white mane and tail

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Etymology

Origin of palomino

First recorded in 1910–15, from Latin American Spanish (Panama), special use of Spanish palomino “of, resembling a dove,” from Latin palumbīnus, equivalent to palumb(ēs) “dove” + -īnus -ine ¹

Explanation

A palomino is a particularly popular kind of horse, with a coat color that ranges from almost white to golden yellow. If you've dreamed since you were little of riding a palomino along a deserted beach, it means that you picture yourself on a pale golden horse. Palominos turn up in movies, parades, and shows because they're unusual and considered to be particularly beautiful. Mr. Ed, possibly the most famous television horse, was a palomino. The word palomino is Spanish, and it means (oddly enough) "young dove."

Example Sentences

Eliff, a former vice president of a lumberyard, tapped on a model palomino and pointed at Stetson.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2022

When Ivie got back to the ranch, he told Jigger — a palomino horse — what had happened.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2019

Most sherries start off as still wines made from the white palomino grape, with the exception of ultra-sweet sherries and sherry’s Andalucían cousin, Montilla-Moriles, which are made largely of the Pedro Ximénez grape.

From New York Times • Dec. 29, 2017

He saddles his beautiful palomino, and we expect an open prairie, but he winds up in a bright new kitchen, agleam with mod cons, where Gena Rowlands makes him ham and eggs.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 9, 2016

Above the desk, on a calendar, a smiling blond girl, in a baton twirler’s shiny blue suit with white boots to her knees, had her arms flung around the neck of a palomino horse.

From "Ceremony:" by Leslie Marmon Silko