mestizo

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish mestizo, from Late Latin mixticius, from Latin mixtus (“mixed”). Doublet of metis, which came from French.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛsˈti.zoʊ/, /mɛˈsti.zoʊ/

Noun

mestizo (plural mestizos or mestizoes)

1. A person of mixed ancestry, especially one of Spanish and Native American heritage.

Translations

a person of mixed ancestry

• Armenian: մետիս (hy) (metis)
• Bulgarian: метис m (metis)
• Catalan: mestís
• French: métis (fr) m, métisse (fr) f
• German: Mestize (de) m, Mestizin (de) f
• Portuguese: caboclo (pt) m, cabocla f

• Spanish: mestizo (es) m, mestiza (es) f
• Swedish: mestis (sv) c
• Turkish: melez (tr), kırma (tr)

See also

• Metis, metis
• mulatto

---

Spanish

Etymology

From Late Latin mixticĭus, from Latin mixtus (“mixed”). Cognate to Portuguese mestiço, French métis.

Pronunciation

• (Castilian) IPA^(key): /mesˈtiθo/, [mes.ˈt̪i.θo]
• (Latin America) IPA^(key): /mesˈtiso/, [mes.ˈt̪i.so]
• Rhymes: -iso

Adjective

mestizo (feminine singular mestiza, masculine plural mestizos, feminine plural mestizas)

1. Of mixed, Spanish and Native American heritage
2. also of mixed indigenous (aboriginal) and colonial (European) descent

Noun

mestizo m (plural mestizos, feminine mestiza, feminine plural mestizas)

1. A person of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage

   Synonyms: ladino, cholo, panchito (derogatory), sudaca (derogatory)

2. A person whose ethnic heritage is of both aboriginal and colonial descent

Derived terms

• mestizaje

Descendants

• → Tagalog: mestiso

Related terms

• mezclar
• mecer
• mesto
• mestura
• mixto