List of 199 English Words That Originated From Spanish
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Need some examples of words that entered English from a certain language? Here's a list of such terms. In this collection of terms you'll find English words that originated from Spanish.
Spanish is spoken around the world, but the countries with the most native speakers are Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Spain, the United States, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Guatemala.
Word | Origin |
abaca | abacá |
abalone | abulón |
adios | adiós |
aficionado | afición |
alligator | el lagarto |
alpaca | allpaqa |
aludel | aludel |
amigo | amigo |
ancho | ancho |
anchovy | anchova |
Angeleno | angeleño |
armada | armada |
armadillo | armado |
arroyo | arroyo |
avocado | aguacate |
banana | banana |
barbecue | barbacoa |
barracuda | barracuda |
barranca | barranca or barranco |
barrio | barrio |
bastinado | bastonada |
bodega | bodega |
bodegón | bodegón |
bolero | bolero |
bonanza | bonanza |
bonito | bonito |
breeze | brisa |
bronco | bronco |
buckaroo | vaquero |
burrito | burrito |
burro | burro |
caballero | caballero |
cabana | cabaña |
cafeteria | cafetería |
calaboose | calabozo |
caldera | caldera |
camarilla | camarilla |
cannibal | caníbal |
canoe | canoa |
canyon | cañón |
carbonado | carbonada |
cargo | cargar |
cassava | cazabe |
caudillo | caudillo |
chaparral | chaparro |
chaps | chaparreras |
chayote | chayote |
chicha | chicha |
chicle | chicle |
chili | chile |
chipotle | chipotle |
chocolate | chocolate |
chorizo | chorizo |
churro | churro |
ciénaga | ciénaga |
cigar | cigarro |
cigarette | cigarro |
cilantro | cilantro |
coca | coca |
cockroach | cucaracha |
cocoa | cacao |
cojones | cojones |
comrade | camarada |
condor | cóndor |
conquistador | conquistador |
coquina | coquina |
cordillera | cordilla |
corral | corral |
corrida | corrida |
coyote | coyote |
creole | criollo |
crimson | cremesín |
crusade | cruzada |
cuadrilla | cuadrilla |
dengue | dengue |
derecho | derecho |
descamisado | descamisado |
doubloon | doblón |
embarcadero | embarcadero |
embargo | embargar |
escabeche | escabeche |
fiesta | fiesta |
flamenco | flamenco |
flotilla | flota |
galleon | galeón |
guacamole | guacamole |
guerrilla | guerra |
habanero | habanero |
hacienda | facienda |
hackamore | jáquima |
hola | hola |
hombre | hombre |
hoosegow | juzgado |
hurricane | huracán |
iguana | iguana |
incommunicado | incomunicado |
jade | piedra de ijada |
jalapeño | jalapeño |
jerky | charqui |
junta | junta |
key | cayo |
lariat | la reata |
lasso | lazo |
Latino | latinoamericano |
llama | llama |
llanos | llano |
loco | loco |
macho | macho |
majordomo | mayordomo |
mano | mano |
marijuana | marihuana |
maroon | cimarrón |
matador | matar |
merengue | merengue |
mesa | mesa |
mescal | mezcal |
mesquite | mezquite |
mestizo | mestizo |
mojito | mojito |
mosquito | mosca |
mustang | mestengo |
nacho | Nacho |
nada | nada |
olé | olé |
oregano | orégano |
pachuco | pachuco |
palmetto | palmito |
pampa | pampa |
papaya | papaya |
paramo | páramo |
patio | patio |
peccadillo | pecadillo |
peyote | peyote |
pimento | pimienta |
piña colada | piña and colada |
piñata | piñata |
piñon | piñón |
pinta | pinta |
pinto | pinto |
piragua | piragua |
pisco | pisco |
platinum | platina |
playa | playa |
plaza | plaza |
politico | político |
poncho | poncho |
potato | patata |
potrero | potrero |
pronto | pronto |
pronunciamento | pronunciamiento |
pueblo | pueblo |
puma | puma |
quesadilla | quesadilla |
quetzal | quetzal |
quinceañera | quince años |
quinoa | quinua |
quirt | cuarta |
ranch | rancho |
remuda | remudar |
renegade | renegado |
rincon | rincón |
robalo | róbalo |
roble | roble |
rodeo | rodear |
rumba | rumba |
saguaro | saguaro |
salsa | salsa |
sapodilla | zapotillo |
sarabande | zarabanda |
savanna | zavana |
sierra | sierra |
siesta | siesta |
silo | silo |
sombrero | sombrero |
stampede | estampida |
stevedore | estibador |
stockade | estacada |
taco | taco |
tamale | tamales |
tango | tango |
temblor | temblar |
tequila | Tequila |
tilde | tilde |
tobacco | tabaco |
tomatillo | tomatillo |
tomato | tomate |
torero | torero |
tornado | tronada |
tortilla | tortilla |
tostada | tostada |
tuna | atún |
turista | turista |
vamoose | vamos |
vanilla | vainilla |
vaquero | vaquero |
vicuña | vicuña |
vigilante | vigilante |
yerba buena | yerba buena |
zorro | zorro |