culo

[ koo-law ]

noun

, Spanish Slang.

, plural cu·los [koo, -laws].

1. the buttocks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of culo¹

First recorded in 1985–90; from Spanish, from Latin cūlus

Example Sentences

In one early scene, the magnetic Joaquín Cosio, who plays the devilish Pop, tells his son, “No ruines la experiencia culo-nary” — don’t ruin the culo-nary experience — intentionally mispronouncing “culinary” to include the word culo, or butt.

From Los Angeles Times

“Yeah? You give me a pain in my culo, too. Let me see the feet.”

From Literature

In the words of her papi: “All chichis and culo, that girl...”

From Literature

Un chico se me abalanza x detrás y me soba el culo.

From BBC

It alternately glamorizes and condemns the drug pusher and his lifestyle, ending with a stern warning voiced by Mexican-American rapper Krazy Dee: “You sold crack to my sister and now she’s sick / But if she happens to die because of your drug / I’m putting in your culo a .38 slug.”

From The Guardian

About This Word

What else does culo mean?

Content warning: this article includes profanity and vulgar language.

Culo is a vulgar word in Spanish literally meaning “butt” or “ass,” used in a range of coarse idiomatic expressions.

The term is also a milder colloquial term for “butt” in Italian.

Where does culo come from?

Long evidenced as a vulgarity in Spanish, culo is said to derive from the Latin culus, “anus,” extended to “butt” or “ass” in Spanish—as well as in Italian.

Culo appears in many Spanish-language idioms colloquially translating to the English sense of “getting screwed over.” One expression is dejar al alguien con el culo al aire, literally “to leave someone with their ass in the air” but having the sense of “to leave someone stranded.”

Other notable Spanish culo expressions insult someone’s intelligence or appearance, including tonto del culo (“fucking idiot”) or cara de culo (“ass-face”). Culo also appears in coarse slang dealing with anal sex or “ass” as a female sexual object.

While culo is generally negative in Spanish, it can be more positive in Italian, as in the expression Che culo!, or How lucky! or Lucky bastard! Having a well-fed posterior, apparently, was historically a sign of success in Italian culture.

How is culo used in real life?

Culo is used by Spanish speakers across the globe, including in the U.S., but is especially found in Latin America, including Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Some bilingual speakers will code-switch between English and Spanish when using culo, incorporating the common slang term in an otherwise English-language utterance or sentence.

In 2004, Cuban-descended rapper Pitbull released a song, “Culo,” featuring Lil Jon. The track praises a woman shaking her culo on the dance floor.

While widely used in many idioms, the Spanish culo is also considered very rude. El trasero or las nalgas (“buttocks”) are more polite ways to refer to the buttocks in Spanish. The Italian culo also appears in idioms besides che chulo, including faccia da culo, “ass-face,” cheekily describing someone as brazen. Culo is considered informal, and occasionally profane, in Italian contexts. Consider using le natiche (“buttocks”) in formal settings.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.