Main Entry: ma·qui·la·do·ra

Pronunciation: \mə-ˌkē-lə-ˈdȯr-ə, -ˈthȯr-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Mexican Spanish (planta, empresa) maquiladora, from maquilar to process (material) for a fee, from maquila processing fee, multure, from Spanish, multure, from Arabic dial. makīla measure of grain

Date: 1976

: a foreign-owned factory in Mexico at which imported parts are assembled by lower-paid workers into products for export