pachuco
pah-CHOO-kohnoun
Spanish & ChicanoSoCalDifficulty 2 of 3: Regional
Definition
A member of the 1940s Mexican-American subculture known for zoot suits, caló slang, and defiant style.
In simple English: A Mexican-American man of the 1940s zoot suit culture.
Examples
His grandfather was a pachuco in East LA.
Usage notes
Pachucos were targets of the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles. Their caló argot is a direct ancestor of much of the Chicano vocabulary on this site.
At a glance
- Track
- Spanish & Chicano
- Region
- SoCal
- Part of speech
- noun