colectivo

[ koh-lek-tee-voh; Spanish kaw-lek-tee-vaw ]

noun

, plural co·lec·ti·vos [koh-lek-, tee, -vohz, kaw-lek-, tee, -vaws].

1. a small public bus.

Word History and Origins

Origin of colectivo¹

First recorded in 1935–40; from Latin American Spanish: “public bus,” i.e., a vehicle used collectively; special use of Spanish: “collective,” from Latin collēctīvus collective