Tex-Mex

[teks-meks]

adjective

1. of or relating to aspects of culture that combine Mexican and Texan or southwestern U.S. features, especially aspects of culture developed in southern Texas based on or influenced by Mexican elements.

   Tex-Mex cooking; Tex-Mex music.

noun

1. a form of Mexican Spanish having elements of English and spoken near the border of Texas and Mexico, especially Mexican Spanish as spoken in Texas.

2. Music.,  norteño.

Tex-Mex

/ ˈtɛksˌmɛks /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting the Texan version of something Mexican, such as music, food, or language

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tex-Mex¹

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; by shortening

Example Sentences

Add a crisp cabbage slaw next to your Tex-Mex skillet; a sharp arugula salad with your skillet arancini.

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Born in San Antonio, the son and grandson of accordionists became famous as the face of Tex-Mex music and as a favorite session player whenever rock and country gods needed some borderlands flair.

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The musician is Tex-Mex legend Flaco Jiménez, who died last week at 86.

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But like his ’70s-era peer Freddy Fender, who incorporated Tejano sounds into his music, Rodriguez deftly wove mariachi and Tex-Mex elements into his arrangements and would sometimes sing in Spanish, including a famous audition for Mercury, where he sang a verse of Don Gibson’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You” in Spanish.

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Selena was a mosaic of the Tex-Mex identity.

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