Chicos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term often used in Latin American contexts to refer to young boys or children
2. it can denote a young man or guy in informal settings
3. also used as an affectionate way to refer to friends or peers, particularly among males

Etymology: "Chicos" is the plural of "chico," an informal Spanish-derived noun for a young man. Its English use is a borrowing from Spanish, and the Spanish word traces back to the Latin "cicca," meaning something trivial or worthless, though that is a separate root from the one that gave English this sense. The more surprising thread runs through "chico" in Spanish itself. It appears to be a clipping of "chicozapote," a tropical tree whose sap is the source of chicle, the base of chewing gum. The name came from Nahuatl "xicotzapotl," and the shortened form in Spanish likely reflects a regional habit of trimming long words. Some sources also suggest a possible link to Spanish "choclo," perhaps reinforced by the common adjective "chico," meaning small, though the exact path of that connection is uncertain.