# List of English words of Spanish origin

This is a list of English language words whose origin can be traced to the Spanish language as "Spanish loan words".
* Top
* 0–9
* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* I
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* O
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* U
* V
* W
* X
* Y
* Z

## A
### abaca

    via Spanish abacá from Tagalog abaká

### abalone

    from Spanish abulón, from Ohlone aluan or Rumsen awlun.

### adios

    from Spanish 'adiós' meaning "goodbye" < latin ad deus "to god" (short for "a Dios seas", "a Dios seades", literally, "may (you) be (commended) to God")

### adobe

    From Egyptian via Arabic "Al-tub"

### aficionado

    from past participle of aficionar, to inspire affection, from afición affection, from Latin affection-, affectio, from afficere .

### albatross

    from alcatraz, see below.

### Alcalde

    from alcalde, magistrate.

### Alcatraz

    (meaning "gannet") from Arabic غطاس al-ġaţţās ("the diver")

### alidade

    via French, Spanish alidada and Medieval Latin alhidade from Arabic العهدة al-idada, "the revolving radius"

### alligator

    from el lagarto, "the lizard" < latín lacartus < lacertus.

### alpaca

    via Spanish, from Aymara allpaqa

### aludel

    from Old French alutel, via Spanish and Medieval Latin from Arabic الأثال al-ʾuṯāl, "the sublimation vessel"

### amigo

    from Spanish and/or Portuguese amigo, "friend"; from Latin amicus meaning "friend," derived from amare (to love).

### amole

    Mexican Spanish from Nahuatl amolli meaning "soap root."

### amontillado

    from the village of Montilla "little mount", Province of Córdoba, Spain

### ancho

    from Mexican Spanish (chile) ancho, "wide (chili)" < latin amplus

### anchovy

    from Spanish anchoa or more probably Portuguese anchova meaning "bluefish"; from Genoese or Corsican dialect; ultimately from Latin apua meaning "small fish" and Greek Αφυε aphye meaning "small fry" or from Basque anchuva meaning "dry"

### Angeleno

    from American Spanish

### Apache

    from Mexican Spanish from Yavapai 'epache meaning "people" or from Zuni apachu meaning "enemy"

### armada

    "armed [fleet]" from the Spanish navy, La armada española

### armadillo

    from armadillo, "little armored one"

### arroyo

    from arroyo, "stream" < arrugium

### avocado

    alteration of Spanish aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl.

### ayahuasca

    via Spanish from Quechua ayawaska meaning "soul vine."

## B
### banana

    from Spanish or Portuguese banana, probably from a Wolof word, or from Arabic بأننا “ba’ nana” fingers

### bandolier

    from Spanish bandolero, meaning "band (for a weapon or other) that crosses from one shoulder to the opposite hip" and bandolero, loosely meaning "he who wears a bandolier"

### barbeque

    from barbacoa, from Spanish, taken from Caribbean Taínos barbacu, cooking set-up with wood tray at a height over fire

### barracuda

    from barracuda May have come from barraco, meaning overlapping tooth

### barranca

    from Spanish barranca or barranco, ravine

### barrio

    from Spanish barrio, "neighborhood", from Arabic بري barri, wild

### bastinado

    from bastonada, from Spanish bastón, cane

### bodega

    from Spanish and/or Portuguese bodega, meaning cellar < latin-greek aphothekam.

### bodegón

    from bodegón

### bolero

    from Spanish bolero

### bonanza

    from bonanza meaning "prosperity" < latin bonantia < bonus "good".

### bonito

    from Spanish bonito, meaning "beautiful" < latin bonus "good".

### breeze

    from brisa "cold northeast wind" or from Frisian briesen - to blow (wind)

### bronco

    from bronco meaning "coarse"

### buckaroo

    from vaquero meaning "cowboy", ultimately from Latin "vaccarium" "cowboy" (vacca "cow").

### burrito

    diminutive of burro, a dish originally from Northern Mexico, literally "little donkey"

### burro

    from burro, "donkey" < latin burricus "pescado".

## C
### caballero

    from Spanish caballero meaning "knight/gentleman", from caballo, "horse", Celtic caballos "horse".

### cabana

    from Spanish cabaña or Portuguese cabana < latin < capanna; both meaning "cabin"

### cacique

    from Spanish, from Taíno cacike or Arawak kassequa, both meaning a chief

### cafeteria

    from cafetería, "coffee store"

### calaboose

    from Vulgar Latin calafodiuma "to dig a protected place" and Louisiana French calabouse, from Spanish calabozo

### caldera

    from Spanish caldera meaning "cauldron" from Latin caldaria, "cooking pot."

### California

    place name first seen in print in 1510 Spanish novel 'Las sergas de Esplandián' by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo

### camarilla

    from camarilla, "small room" diminutive of cámara "room" < latin camara.

### camino

    from camino a path or road, from Celtic cammanos "road".

### cannibal

    from Spanish caníbal, alteration of caríbal, from Caribe

### canoe

    from Spanish canoa, from Haitian canaoua

### canyon

    from cañón with same meaning. Derived from caño, "a pipe, tube, gorge, tube;" ultimately from Latin canna meaning "reed."

### carabao

    from Spanish from Visayan language kalabaw, from Malay language kerabau.

### caramba

    from Spanish, meaning "heck"; expression of dread, displeasure, or disapproval, euphemism for carajo

### carbonado

    from carbonada, from carbón meaning "coal"

### cargo

    from the verb cargar meaning "to load"

### Caribbean

    from Spanish Caribe, from name of Carib Indians of the region.

### cassava

    from cazabe, from Taíno caçábi

### caudillo

    from caudillo, from Latin capitellium "head" meaning "leader"

### cedilla

    from cedilla, archaic spelling zedilla (little z)

### chaparral

    from Spanish, chaparro loosely meaning small evergreen oak, from Basque txapar, "small, short"

### chaps

    from Mexican Spanish chaparreras, leg protectors for riding through chaparral

### chayote

    from Spanish, literally: "squash", from Nahuatl chayotl meaning "spiny squash"

### chicha

    from Spanish chicha, from Kuna chichab, meaning "maize" or from Nahuatl chichiatl, "fermented water."

### chicle

    from chicle "gum", from Nahuatl tzictli "squishy stuff" or Mayan tsicte.

### chile

    from Spanish chile, from Nahuatl chilli

### chipotle

    from Spanish, smoked jalapeño, from Nahuatl chilpoctli

### chocolate

    from Spanish chocolate, from Nahuatl xocolatl meaning "hot water" or from a combination of the Mayan word chocol meaning "hot" and the Nahuatl word atl meaning "water."

### Choctaw

    from the native name Chahta of unknown meaning but also said to come from Spanish chato (="flattened") because of the tribe's custom of flattening the heads of male infants.

### chorizo

    from chorizo, "sausage"

### churro

    from churro, "fritter"

### cienega or cienaga

    from ciénaga, "swamp" < latin caenus "mud" and native suffix -aka, caénaka.

### cigar

    from Spanish cigarro meaning "fag (UK), stogie, stogy", from Mayan sicar or sic, "tobacco"

### cigarette

    from French cigarette "little weed", diminutive of French cigare "stogie", from Spanish cigarro meaning "fag (UK), stogie, stogy."

### cilantro

    from Spanish cilantro < latin coriandrum, "coriander"

### coca

    from Spanish, coca meaning "coke", from Quechua kuka

### cockroach

    from Spanish cucaracha

### cocoa or cacao

    from Spanish cacao, from Nahuatl cacáhuatl

### cojones

    from Spanish cojones < latin coleones meaning "balls, testicles", to denote courage

### Colorado

    from Spanish colorado < latin coloratus, red or colored

### comrade

    from French camarade meaning "friend", from Spanish camarada < latin camara "room", "pal, mate"

### condor

    from Spanish, from Quechua kuntur

### conquistador

    from conquistador meaning "conqueror", from conquista < latin conquisita, "conquest"

### coquina

    from coquina, dim. form of "concha" meaning seashell; a sedimentary rock of NE Florida

### cordillera

    from cordillera, "range" < cordel "cord".

### corral

    from corral meaning "pen, yard" from Portuguese curral meaning "pen" of unknown; perhaps ultimately from Afrikaans kraal or from Vulgar Latin currale loosely meaning "enclosure for vehicles."

### corrida

    a bullfight (literally: "raced")

### coyote

    from Spanish coyote, from Nahuatl coyotl

### cowboy

    from Spanish vaquero, an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback, from vaca, "cow", from Latin vacca

### creole

    from French créole, from Spanish criollo, from Portuguese crioulo, raised in the house

### crimson

    from Old Spanish cremesín, via Medieval Latin cremesinus from Arabic قيرميزل qirmizI, from Persian قرمز qermez kermes; ultimately from Sanskrit कृमिज krmi-ja meaning "worm-made."

### crusade

    blend of Middle French croisade and Spanish cruzada; both ultimately from Latin crux, crucis "cross"

### cuadrilla

    from cuadrilla "group of people" diminutive of cuadro "square" < latin quadrus.

### cumbia

    from Spanish cumbia, a popular dance (for couples) originating in Colombia.

## D
### daiquiri

    from Daiquiri, a port city in eastern Cuba

### dengue

    from Spanish dengue meaning "fever", from Swahili dinga, "seizure"

### derecho

    from Spanish derecho meaning "straight" or "masculine of right side" < latin directum, a widespread and long-lived convection-induced straight-line windstorm

### descamisado

    from Spanish descamisado, "without a shirt" < camisa "shirt" < celtic kamisia.

### desperado

    from Spanish desesperado, desperate

### doubloon

    from Spanish doblón : meaning "two-sided" for two-headed coin ("doble" is double in Spanish < latin duplex).

## E
### El Dorado

    from El Dorado, literally, "the golden one"

### El Niño

    from El Niño de la Navidad, literally, "the Christmas child" due to the warming of Pacific waters seemed to warm around Christmas

### embarcadero

    from embarcadero a boat dock, from barca "rowboat".

### embargo

    from Spanish embargar, to "seize" or "impound" < latin imbarricare.

### escabeche

    from escabeche, "pickle" < Arabic assukkabáǧ.

### escopeteros

    from Spanish escopetero, "musketeer", from escopeta "shotgun" < italian schioppetto.

## F
### Federales

    from Federales, "federal police"

### fiesta

    from the Spanish fiesta meaning "party" < latin festa

### Flamenco

    "Spanish genre of music and dance typical of the gypsies".

### Florida

    from La Florida, the flowery or plant-filled place or pascua florida, "flowery Easter."

### flotilla

    diminutive of flota, "fleet"

## G
### galleon

    from Spanish "galeón" (a large sailing ship having three or more masts, from the 15th to 18th century)

### gaucho

    from Mapuche "Argentine cowboy"

### gracias

    from Latin expression gratias agere ("to give thanks")

### gringo

    probably from "green go home!" Literally "¡verdes vayanse a casa!", in reference to the invasión of army of USA to Mexico en 1846 and 1848, Since the United States Army wore green uniforms. Just to notice the correction and that this has already been proved to be a false etymology. "Gringo" was already documented in the Diccionario Castellano of Esteban Terreros y Pando in 1786, so "gringo" has nothing to do with "green go home". The most valid and accepted etymology is a deformation of "griego" that means "greek" in Spanish. So it went like this: griego > grigo > gringo

### guacamole

    via American Spanish from Nahuatl ahuaca-molli ("avocado sauce")

### guerrilla

    from Spanish obsolete meaning "small war" or current meaning "fire-armed group" (raised out of unbalanced democracy) from guerra "war" < Gothic werra "war" (Spanish pronunciation:)

## H
### habanero

    from the Spanish for the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, which is known as Havana in English. Although it is not the place of origin, it was frequently traded there.

### hacienda

    from Old Spanish facienda, "estate"

### hackamore

    from Spanish jaquima, "halter."

### hola

    Spanish greeting, equivalent to "hello"

### Hispano

    From Spanish hispanic. Also came from Latin Hispania, the whole Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) called by Romans.

### hombre

    from Spanish hombre, "man" < medieval homre < latin hominis

### hoosegow

    from Spanish juzgado, courthouse, from juzgar < latin iudicare "to judge"

### hurricane

    from Spanish huracán, from Taíno hurákan; akin to Arawak kulakani, thunder

## I
### Inca

    via Spanish inca, from Quechua Inka, literally: "lord, king."

### incommunicado

    from incomunicado, without communication (in the mountains, in the jail,...), "in solitary confinement."

### iguana

    from Spanish iguana from Arawak iwana.

## J
### jade

    from Spanish piedra de ijada, "stone of flank."

### jalapeño

    from Spanish, a type of spicy chilli named after Jalapa de Enríquez, a town in Mexico, and the capital of the state of Veracruz

### jerky

    via Spanish charqui, from Quechua ch'arki, "dried flesh"

### junta

    from Spanish junta literally "joint"; a board of joint administration; sometimes used to refer to military officers command in a coup d'état. As an adjective, it means "together".

## K
### key

    from Spanish cayo, from Taíno cayo (this is English 'key'/'cay'/'quay' as in an island, reef or a linked series of them, not the 'key' with which one locks/unlocks doors)

## L
### La Niña

    "The little girl", complementary weather pattern to (q.v.) El Niño

### lariat

    from la reata, meaning "the strap, rein, or rope" from reatar ("to tie again") from atar "to tie (up);" from Latin aparte, "to join."

### lasso

    via American English from Spanish lazo meaning "tie; or rope" ultimately from Latin laqueum, "noose, snare."

### Latino

    English short for the Spanish word latinoamericano, formed by latino "related to the Latin empire and language" and americano "from the Americas"

### llama

    via Spanish llama, from Quechua llama

### Llanos

    from Spanish llano "plain" < latin planus; vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela.

### loco

    from loco, "mad" or "crazy"

### Lolita

    from the diminutive for Lola, short for Dolores

## M
### macho

    from macho "male, brave" < latin masculus, the property of being overtly masculine. Also used in South America to refer to a male llama or alpaca.

### majordomo

    via Spanish mayordomo or Italian maggiordomo (both meaning "butler") from Latin maior domus meaning "mayor of the place."

### mano

    from mano, "hand". Stone handtool

### manzanilla

    from Spanish manzanilla, a natural tea for some superficial pains. The word is diminutive of manzana "apple"

### marijuana

    from Spanish marihuana meaning cannabis.

### maroon

    from the Spanish cimarrón, which was derived from an Arawakan root

### matador

    from matador meaning "killer" from matar ("to kill") probably from Arabic مات mata meaning "he died", also possibly cognate with Persian مردن mordan, "to die" as well as English "murder." Another theory is that the word "matador" is derived from a combination of the Vulgar Latin mattāre, from Late Latin mactare (to slaughter, kill) and the Latin -tor (which is cognate with Greek τορ -tōr and Sanskrit तर -tar-.)

### merengue

    a type of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic

### mesa

    from mesa, table < latin mensa. The corresponding Spanish word to a flat top mountain is meseta

### mescal

    from Spanish mezcal, from Nahuatl mexcalli

### mesquite

    from Mexican Spanish mezquite, from Nahuatl mizquitl

### mestizo

    from mestizo "racially mixed" < latin mixticius "mixed" or "mongrel", in Spanish, refers to a person of mixed European and Native American descent.

### mojito

    dim. formed from "mojado" (wet or dripping) probably referring to the mint leaves in the well known Cuban drink

### mole

    also from Spanish as Guacamole, from Nahuatl molle or molli ("sauce")

### Montana

    from montaña, a mountain

### mosquito

    from mosquito, literally "little fly" < mosca "fly" < latin musca.

### mulatto

    from Spanish or Portuguese mulato meaning "octoroon, sambo" from mulo "mule" > "hybrid". in Spanish, refers to a person of mixed European-African descent.

### mustang

    from mustango, mestengo, mestencoor mesteño, "without known master or owner" (archaic)

### mustee

    from mestizo, "racially mixed."or "mongrel"

## N
### nachos

    from Nacho, a nickname for the given name Ignacio, inventor of the snack

### nada

    from "nada" meaning " nothing."

### Negro

    from Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian negro, "black", from Latin nigrum (nom. niger) and Greek νέγρος négros, both meaning "black.". In Spanish it might be derogatory (depending on intonation and facial expression on some Latin countries).

### Nevada

    from Nevada ("snowy") after the Sierra Nevada ("snowy mountains")

### nostromo

    from nuestro amo, "our master".

## O
### olé

    an interjection, an expression of approval or triumph, similar to the Italian bravo (capable), by spectators of bull fights or football (soccer) matches

### oregano

    from orégano, "marjoram"

## P
### pachuco

    from pachuco, "fancy-dresser." or "unsuitable or bad-looking attire"

### paella

    from Spanish paella, from Valencian paella "pan" and the dish name. Originated in Latin patella, also meaning "pan."

### palmetto

    from palmito, "palm heart, little palm", diminutive form of the word for palm.

### pampa

    via Spanish, from Quechua pampa, plain

### papaya

    from papaya, akin to Arawak papáia

### páramo

    from Spanish páramo (moorland)

### patio

    from patio, inner courtyard, "an open paved area adjacent to a home"

### peccadillo

    from pecadillo, "small sin"

### peccary

    from Spanish pecarí, from Carib pakira or paquira.

### peon

    from Spanish peón ("laborer")

### peyote

    from Spanish, from Nahuatl peyotl ("caterpillar")

### Philippines

    via Spanish Filipinas from Latin Philippinae, "islands of king Philip II of Spain"; ultimately from Greek Φιλιππίναι Philippinai from the Greek phrase Φίλος ίππος Νησιά Fílos Íppos Ni̱sí, "Islands of the Horse Friend."

### piccadill

    from picadillo, "hash"

### pimento or pimiento

    from pimiento, "pepper."

### piña colada

    from Spanish piña (pineapple), and colada, which means strained, from the Spanish verb colar ("to strain")

### piñata

    from piñata ("jug, pot") from Latin pinea, "pine cone." or "birthday batting-pony game for kids"

### piñon or pinyon

    from piñón, "pine"

### pinta

    from pinta, "he/she/it paints"; also archaic Spanish for pintada, "painted"

### Pinto

    from pintar, "to paint"; a white horse with a coat "painted" in large patterns of any other color.

### piragua

    from Carib language

### pisco

    from pisco, "turkey"

### placer mining

    from placer, "sand bank" or "pleasure"

### platinum

    from platina, "little silver" (now platino)

### playa

    from playa, "beach" < latin plagea

### plaza

    from plaza, "public square, spot or place" < latin platea.

### politico

    from Spanish or Italian político meaning "politician, political agent;" ultimately from Latin politicus meaning "of citizens or the state, civil, civic," from Greek πολιτικός (Ancient Greek: πολῑτικός) politikos, "of citizens or the state," from πολίτης (plural: πολίτες) polites (citizen) from πόλις polis, "city."

### poncho

    from poncho, from Araucanian pontho meaning "woolen fabric." or "Short of Proper name Alfonso"

### potato

    from Peninsular Spanish patata, itself from batata, "sweet potato", from Taíno and papa, "potato" from Quechua

### potrero

    from potrero, archaic term for "tongue of land"

### pronto

    from Spanish "soon, prompt"

### pronunciamento

    from pronunciamiento proclamation, "military coup d'état", usually establishing a military dictatorship (often a junta)

### puma

    from Spanish "cougar, panther", from Quechua

### pueblo

    via Castilian pueblo from Latin populus ("people") or "Population of Country-side or outskirts".

## Q
### quadroon

    from cuarterón, "fourth"

### quesadilla

    from quesadilla meaning a traditional Mexican dish made with tortillas and cheese, diminutive of queso, cheese.

### quetzal

    from Spanish, from Nahuatl "quetzalli": a group of colourful birds of the trogon family found in tropical regions of the Americas. It also may refer to Guatemalan quetzal, the currency of Guatemala.

### quinoa

    via Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa

### quinceañera

    from Spanish quince años, literally: "fifteen-year-old-girl"; a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration similar to a "sweet sixteen"; with special rituals in South America.

### Quixotism/Quixotic

    from fictional character Don Quixote as in "tilting at windmills"

### quirt

    from Spanish cuarta literally: "quarter"; a short horseman's whip, from "one fourth" (of a vara)

## R
### ranch

    from rancho, a very small rural community, smaller than a town; also a very humble dwelling in South American Spanish.

### reconquista

    from reconquista, "reconquest"

### remuda

    from Mexican Spanish remudar, to exchange (horses)

### renegade

    from renegado, "turncoat, heretic, disowned"

### rhumba

    from rumba, Spanish for "party" or "spree"

### rincon

    from rincón, "meadow" or "corner-side"

### robalo

    from Spanish róbalo meaning "bass, sea wolf," a tropical marine game and fish food

### roble

    from Spanish roble, "oak tree" < latin roboris.

### rodeo

    from rodeo and verb rodear (to go around)

### rueda

    from rueda, wheel or circle

### rumba

    from rumba, Spanish for "party" or "spree"

## S
### saguaro

    from saguaro, from Piman

### salsa

    from salsa, "sauce"

### sapodilla

    from zapotillo

### sarabande

    from French sarabande in turn from Spanish zarabanda

### savanna

    from sabana, "veld", from Taíno zabana

### savvy

    from Spanish or Portuguese sabe, "knows"; sabio, "wise, learned" < latin sapidus "with sapience".

### shack

    perhaps from Mexican Spanish jacal meaning "hut", from Nahuatl xacalli

### sherry

    from Old Spanish Xerés, modern Spanish Jerez.

### sierra

    from sierra, a mountain range

### Sierra Nevada

    literally "snowy mountains"

### siesta

    from siesta, "nap", from Latin Sexta [hora] "sixth hour"

### silo

    from silo

### sombrero

    from sombrero (literally, shade maker), "hat"

### stampede

    from estampida

### stevedore

    from estibador (literally, one who stuffs), "ship loader"

### stockade

    from a French derivation of the Spanish estocada, "stab"

### suave

    meaning "charming, confident, and elegant" < latin suavis "sweet".

## T
### taco

    from taco, "plug" or from Portugues Bat

### tamale

    from Spanish tamales, pl. of tamal, from Nahuatl tamalli meaning dumpling made from corn flour

### tango

    from Spanish tango.

### tapioca

    from tapioca, "cassava"

### ten-gallon hat

    from Spanish tan galán meaning "so gallant (looking)"; alternate theory is the gallon of Texas English here is a misunderstanding of galón meaning braid

### temblor

    Spanish for trembling, or earthquake; from temblar, to shake, from Vulgar Latin *tremulāre, from Latin tremulus

### tequila

    from tequila, from the town Tequila, where the beverage originated

### telenovela or telenovella

    from telenovela, "soap opera" or to some extent "TV-drama-show"

### tilde

    from tilde from Spanish ' symbol above some vowels

### tobacco

    from Spanish (Nahuatl influenced) tabaco, "snuff"

### tomatillo

    from Spanish tomatillo, "small tomato" (see Physalis philadelphica)

### tomato

    from Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl xitomatl

### torero

    from toro, "bull"

### tornado

    from Spanish tronada, "thunderstorm", influenced by tornar, "to turn"

### tortilla

    from tortilla, literally "small cake". In Mexico is a type of thin flatbread made of finely ground wheat flour. Now is called "omelet" in Spain

### tostada (toast) and tostada (tortilla)

    from tostada, "toasted"

### tuna

    from Spanish atún, from Arabic تون tun, from Latin thunnus, from Greek θύννος, thynnos (=tuna fish)

### turista

    from turista, "tourist" as either gender M/F

## V
### vamoose

    from vamos, meaning "let's go"

### vanilla

    from Spanish vainilla, diminutive of Latin vaina, from vagina meaning "pod"

### vaquero

    from the Spanish word vaquero

### vertigo

    from the Spanish word vértigo

### vicugna

    via Spanish, from Quechua wik'uña

### vigilante

    from Spanish vigilante, meaning "watchman." < latin vigiliā "sleepless night, vigil".

## W
### wop

    from Italian guappone, from Spanish guapo, "handsome" or "attractive".

## Y
### yerba buena

    from Spanish yerbabuena meaning "good herb" (infused in Tea which has a Mint smell) < latin erbam bonam

## Z
### Zorro

    from Spanish zorro, a fox, originally "smart" (according to the Spanish Royal Academy: from the Portuguese "zorro" 'lazy, idle', derived from "zorrar" 'to drag'; cf. occit. mandra 'zorra'; specifically 'mandria, lazy')