cholo

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish cholo, of uncertain origin.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃoʊloʊ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: (General American) -oʊloʊ

Noun

cholo (plural cholos)

1. (derogatory) A Mexican or Hispanic gang member, or somebody perceived to embody similar characteristics.

   Coordinate term: chola

   • 1999, Dorothy Leonard-Barton, Walter C. Swap, When Sparks Fly: Igniting Creativity in Groups, page 87:

     When Converse's cool-hunter DeeDee Gordon was in Los Angeles, she saw white teenage girls dressing like cholos, or Mexican gangsters, wearing tight white tank tops known as "wife beaters," a bra strap hanging out, long shorts, tube socks, and shower sandals.

Further reading

• “cholo”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Anagrams

• looch, ochlo-

Chamicuro

Noun

cholo

1. swallow

Spanish

Etymology

Unknown etymology. Hypotheses include:

• From Classical Nahuatl xolotl ("dog").
• From Classical Nahuatl xolo ("servant").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃolo/ [ˈt͡ʃo.lo]
• Rhymes: -olo
• Syllabification: cho‧lo

Noun

cholo m (plural cholos, feminine chola, feminine plural cholas)

1. (South America, derogatory) mestizo, person of mixed European and various degrees of Amerindian descent, especially if the person is poor

   Synonyms: ladino, mestizo

2. (Mexico, historical) a poor Mexican, often living in California during 19th century
3. (Mexico, US, informal) a person belonging to a street gang

   Synonyms: pandillero, marero, gángster

Descendants

• → English: cholo

Adjective

cholo (feminine chola, masculine plural cholos, feminine plural cholas)

1. (colloquial, El Salvador) ripped, with defined muscles

   Synonyms: musculoso, (El Salvador) cholotón

   Mi hijo ya se está poniendo cholo ahora que va al gimnasio.

   My son is getting ripped now that he goes to the gym.

2. (colloquial, El Salvador) skillful (especially in a sport, but also figuratively in a dancing style, chess or a science)

   Synonyms: diestro, habilidoso

   Sí, él es bien cholo en taekwondo. Ha estado yendo cuatro días a la semana por años.

   Yes, he's pretty good in taekwondo. He's been going four days a week for years.

Derived terms

• acholar

 

Further reading

• “cholo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014