cucaracha

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish cucaracha (“cockroach”). Doublet of cockroach.

Noun

cucaracha (plural cucarachas)

1. A Mexican ballroom and nightclub dance.

Asturian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish cucaracha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kukaˈɾat͡ʃa/, [ku.kaˈɾa.t͡ɕa]
• Rhymes: -at͡ʃa
• Hyphenation: cu‧ca‧ra‧cha

Noun

cucaracha f (plural cucaraches)

1. (zoology) cockroach (insect)

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish cucaracha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ku.kaˈra.t͡ʃa/
• Rhymes: -atʃa
• Hyphenation: cu‧ca‧rà‧cha

Noun

cucaracha f (uncountable)

1. cucaracha (Mexican dance)

Further reading

• cucaracha in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Spanish

Etymology

From cuca (“butterfly caterpillar”), of onomatopoeic origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kukaˈɾat͡ʃa/ [ku.kaˈɾa.t͡ʃa]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -atʃa
• Syllabification: cu‧ca‧ra‧cha

Noun

cucaracha f (plural cucarachas)

1. cockroach

   Synonym: barata (Chile)

Derived terms

• en alas de cucaracha
• matacucarachas

 

Further reading

• “cucaracha”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28