pachuco

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

/ pəˈtʃu koʊ; Spanish pɑˈtʃu kɔ /

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noun, plural pa·chu·cos

[puh-choo-kohz; Spanish pah-choo-kaws]. /pəˈtʃu koʊz; Spanish pɑˈtʃu kɔs/.

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.

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Origin of pachuco

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

pachisi, Pachmann, Pachomius, pachouli, pachuca, pachuco, pachycephalosaurus, pachyderm, pachydermatous, pachymeningitis, pachysandra

British Dictionary definitions for pachuco

Pachuco

/ (pəˈtʃuːkəʊ) /

noun plural -cos

US a young Mexican living in the US, esp one of low social status who belongs to a street gang

Word Origin for Pachuco

C20: from Mexican Spanish

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