chinicuil

Spanish

Alternative forms

• chilocuil, chinocuil

Etymology

Alteration of chilocuil, from Classical Nahuatl chihchīlocuilin, from chihchīltic (“red, chili red”) + ocuilin (“worm”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃiniˈkwil/ [t͡ʃi.niˈkwil]
• Rhymes: -il
• Syllabification: chi‧ni‧cuil

Noun

chinicuil m (plural chinicuiles)

1. (Mexico) the edible larva of the moth Hypopta agavis, used in traditional Mexican cuisine

   Synonym: (Mexico) tecol

References

• Carlos Montemayor et al. (2009) Diccionario del náhuatl en el español de México, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, page 54