pachuco

[ puh-choo-koh; Spanish pah-choo-kaw ]

noun

, plural pa·chu·cos [p, uh, -, choo, -kohz, pah-, choo, -kaws].

1. a Mexican American member of a young street gang subculture popular during the first half of the 20th century and known for its flamboyant style and fashion, similar in many ways to the zoot-suit subculture.

Pachuco

/ pəˈtʃuːkəʊ /

noun

1. a young Mexican living in the US, esp one of low social status who belongs to a street gang

Word History and Origins

Origin of pachuco¹

First recorded in 1940–45; from Spanish (Mexico, southwestern U.S.) : probably originally a resident of El Paso, Texas, equivalent to (El) Pas(o) + -uco pejorative noun suffix, with expressive replacement of s by ch; compare Mexican Spanish pachuco “worthless card hand,” derivative of paso “pass”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pachuco¹

C20: from Mexican Spanish

Example Sentences

A video of Vietnamese men dressed in pachuco style has gone viral on social media, sparking conversations about appropriation and who gets to partake in the culture.

From Los Angeles Times

You can track the evolution of these shapes back to the 1940s and ’50s pachuco down to the cholos of the present day.

From Los Angeles Times

To be clear: Not all pachucos were gang members, nor did all gang members dress like pachucos.

From Los Angeles Times

But other pachucos saw that CC had gotten away with something.

From Los Angeles Times

The Mexican immigrant was familiar with zoot suits through the films of the Mexican comedian Tin-Tan, who satirized pachuco culture in a series of films in the 1940s and 1950s.

From Los Angeles Times