Elote

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɛˈləʊteɪ/

Definitions

1. A popular Mexican dish comprising corn on the cob, typically grilled and topped with ingredients such as cheese, mayonnaise, and spices
2. A favored street food in Mexico that includes cooked corn on the cob, usually garnished with a variety of flavorings like chili and lime
3. A traditional Mexican food item consisting of grilled sweet corn on the cob, often enhanced with toppings like cheese, mayonnaise, and chili powder

Etymology: Spanish "elote" comes from Nahuatl "elotl," the word for a fresh ear of maize, so the English term is a loan from Spanish that carries an Indigenous American word through two languages. The Nahuatl root points to the corn itself, not to any cooking method, which makes the modern English sense of a grilled cob a narrowing of the original meaning. Spanish speakers in Mexico and Central America used the word for the unroasted ear, and the grilling and seasoning now associated with it developed as street-food practice. English took the word from Spanish, where it was already tied to maize cultivation in the Americas. Its use in English is comparatively recent, and it has spread mainly with Mexican-American food culture.