macho

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

macho (ˈmætʃəʊ)

—*adj*
1.	denoting or exhibiting pride in characteristics believed to be typically masculine, such as physical strength, sexual appetite, etc

—n , machos
2.	a man who displays such characteristics

[C20: from Spanish: male; see machismo]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

macho

1928 (n.) "tough guy," from Sp. macho "male animal," as an adj., "masculine, virile," from L. masculus (see masculine). First attested in Eng. as an adj. 1959.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

MACHO

(mä'chō) Pronunciation Key
Short for massive astrophysical compact halo object.Any of various massive dark objects, such as a brown dwarf star, black hole, or large planet, found in a galactic halo. MACHOs are thought to make up at least a part of the dark matter that apparently pervades much of the universe.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

macho [(mah-choh)]

The often exaggerated, aggressive virility of a male: “Jim likes to wear a torn T-shirt and a black leather jacket when he rides his motorcycle. I guess he thinks it makes him look macho.” The original Spanish word means “male.”

Slang Dictionary

macho definition

[ˈmɑtʃo]

mod.
masculine; virile. (From Spanish. Used as a derogation by feminists.) : Does the world really need one more macho man?
n.
a masculine or virile male. : He's such a macho. He even chews tobacco.

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

MACHO
massive astrophysical compact halo object

Example sentences

The macho adores femaleness and wants to dominate what he adores.

These may be difficult for boys who come from macho backgrounds.

Prove what a big macho jerkoff you are by wiping out every other living thing.

And he does have his macho moments, famously challenging his soldiers to

push-up contests.

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Related Words

consciousness-raising forte loanword

machismo male masculine

Matching Quote

"An accent mark, perhaps, instead of a whole western accent—a point of punctuation rather than a uniform twang. That is how it should be worn: as a quiet point of character reference, an apt phrase of sartorial allusion—macho, sotto voce."

-Phil Patton