pachuco

[ puh-choo-koh; Spanish pah-choo-kaw ]

noun,plural pa·chu·cos [puh-choo-kohz; Spanish pah-choo-kaws]. /pəˈtʃu koʊz; Spanish pɑˈtʃu kɔs/.
  1. a Mexican American member of a young street gang subculture popular during the first half of the 20th century and known for its flamboyant style and fashion, similar in many ways to the zoot-suit subculture.

Origin of pachuco

1
First recorded in 1940–45; from Spanish (Mexico, southwestern U.S.) : probably originally a resident of El Paso, Texas, equivalent to (El) Pas(o) + -uco pejorative noun suffix, with expressive replacement of s by ch; compare Mexican Spanish pachuco “worthless card hand,” derivative of paso “pass”

Words Nearby pachuco

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British Dictionary definitions for Pachuco

Pachuco

/ (pəˈtʃuːkəʊ) /


nounplural -cos
  1. US a young Mexican living in the US, esp one of low social status who belongs to a street gang

Origin of Pachuco

1
C20: from Mexican Spanish

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