Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

spic

/ˈspɪk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.14 in modern English

Syllables
spic
IPA
/ˈspɪk/
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Synonym of Latino, an inhabitant of Latin America or person of Latin American descent.

American usage; Derogatory; Offensive

noun

Synonym of Italian, an inhabitant of Italy or person of Italian descent.

American usage

Example Sentences

Etymology

First attested in this spelling in the 1910s, from earlier spig, spiggoty, spikity, generally taken to derive from a (stereotype of a) Hispanic pronunciation of "(no) speak d(e) English" (especially as used by the laborers who dug the Panama Canal). There are also later (1960s) suggestions that the term referred instead to Italians and derives from spaghetti, but there is little to back this up.

Usage

Inflected Forms

spics (plural) spick (alternative) spik (alternative)

Derived Forms

Spicanese spicish spiclet spicness spicspeak spigger

Frequently Paired Words

beaner wetback

Synonyms

spigotty spiggoty Latino Italian immaculate speckless spick-and-span spic-and-span spick spotless

Rhymes With

pick quick sick click stick kick dick non-stick nick trick thick rick

Questions

How do you pronounce spic?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈspɪk/.
What does spic mean?
Synonym of Latino, an inhabitant of Latin America or person of Latin American descent.
Where does spic come from?
First attested in this spelling in the 1910s, from earlier spig, spiggoty, spikity, generally taken to derive from a (stereotype of a) Hispanic pronunciation of "(no) speak d(e) English" (especially as used by the laborers who dug the Panama Canal). There are also later (1960s) suggestions that the term referred instead to Italians and derives from spaghetti, but there is little to back this up.

How to pronounce spic

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “spic”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈspɪk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “spic”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “spic” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.