pachuco

noun

pa·​chu·​co pə-ˈchü-(ˌ)kō How to pronounce pachuco (audio)
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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pachuco was in 1943

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.

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