tornillo

[ tawr-nil-oh, -nee-oh; Spanish tawr-nee-lyaw, -nee-yaw ]

noun

, plural tor·nil·los [tawr-, nil, -ohz, -, nee, -ohz, taw, r, -, nee, -lyaws, -, nee, -yaws].

1. screw bean.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tornillo¹

1835–45, Americanism; < Spanish: screw, clamp, equivalent to torn ( o ) lathe, gyration (< Latin tornus lathe < Greek tórnos ) + -illo diminutive suffix (< Latin -illum )

Example Sentences

Screwbean (Prosopis odorata) is known also as screwpod mesquite, and tornillo.

From Project Gutenberg