pickaninny
or pic·a·nin·ny, pic·ca·nin·ny
[ pik-uh-nin-ee ]
/ ˈpɪk əˌnɪn i /
noun, plural pick·a·nin·nies. Older Use: Now Offensive.
a term used to refer to a black child.
Words nearby pickaninny
pick-up, pick-up stick, pickaback, pickaback plane, pickaback plant, pickaninny, pickaroon, pickax, pickaxe, picked, picked over
Origin of pickaninny
1645–55; probably ultimately < Portuguese pequenino, diminutive of pequeno small; as a word for “small child,” pickaninny and its variants are widespread in English-based creoles of the New World and West Africa; compare Jamaican English pickney, West African English pickin small child
usage note for pickaninny
This is a dated term, originally used in a neutral or even affectionate way among slaves in the West Indies, but now perceived as insulting.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for pickaninny
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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