pachuco
noun
pa·chu·co
pə-ˈchü-(ˌ)kō 
plural pachucos
: a young Mexican-American having a taste for flashy clothes and a special jargon and usually belonging to a neighborhood gang
Examples of pachuco in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To be clear: Not all pachucos were gang members, nor did all gang members dress like pachucos.
—
Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
Hundreds of pachucos came from the Eastside to help their Black peers.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
The event invites families to explore the history of the Zoot Suit Riots, from pachucos to the Sleepy Lagoon, through technological installations.
—Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
Paz wasn’t the first to write about the pachuco.
—Boris Kachka, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023
Eventually, the zoot suit ministry of Black Harlem made its way to the West Coast, where it was embraced by young Mexican-American pachuco and pachucas.
—Thalía Henao, Allure, 3 May 2022
Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
Hundreds of pachucos came from the Eastside to help their Black peers.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2023
The event invites families to explore the history of the Zoot Suit Riots, from pachucos to the Sleepy Lagoon, through technological installations.
—Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 17 May 2023
Paz wasn’t the first to write about the pachuco.
—Boris Kachka, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023
Eventually, the zoot suit ministry of Black Harlem made its way to the West Coast, where it was embraced by young Mexican-American pachuco and pachucas.
—Thalía Henao, Allure, 3 May 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pachuco.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
American Spanish
First Known Use
1943, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near pachuco
Cite this Entry
“Pachuco.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pachuco. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share