pinta

¹ American  

[pin-tuh, peen-tah] / ˈpɪn tə, ˈpin tɑ /

noun

Pathology.

1. a nonvenereal treponematosis occurring chiefly in Central and South America, caused by Treponema carateum, characterized by spots of various colors on the skin.

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Pinta ² American  

[pin-tuh, peen-tah] / ˈpɪn tə, ˈpin tɑ /

noun

1. one of the three ships under the command of Columbus during his first voyage to America in 1492.

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Pinta ¹ British  

/ ˈpɪntə /

noun

1. one of the three ships commanded by Columbus on his first voyage to America (1492)

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pinta ² British  

/ ˈpɪntə /

noun

1. Also called: mal de pinto.  a tropical infectious skin disease caused by the bacterium Treponema carateum and characterized by the formation of papules and loss of pigmentation in circumscribed areas

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pinta ³ British  

/ ˈpaɪntə /

noun

1. informal a pint of milk

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Etymology

Origin of pinta

First recorded in 1815–25; from South American Spanish, special use of Spanish pinta “spot,” from Vulgar Latin pincta, (unattested) feminine of pinctus (unattested), nasalized variant of Latin pictus, past participle of pingere “to paint ”

Example Sentences

A fourth treponemal disease, pinta, is caused by Treponema carateum or Treponema pallidum subsp. carateum.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

No complete genome of the pathogen responsible for pinta has yet been recovered, which leaves questions about its evolutionary relationships and classification.

From Science Daily • Jan. 26, 2026

One was the papa pinta boca: the mouth-painting potato, which has velvety purple skin.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 4, 2016

She appeared in television advertisements for the Dairy Council as the "drinka pinta milka day" girl.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2015

Olha do Bandá asilhas que se esmaltão Da varia cor, que pinta o rosco fruto, As aves, variadas, que aly saltão, Da verde Noz tomando seu tributo.

From A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century by Barbosa, Duarte