首页

hombre

UK[ˈɒmbreɪ]US[ˈɑːmbreɪ]
n

A man, especially one with a strong, tough, or masculine character.

n

(in Spanish-speaking regions) A man.

Etymology

The English word 'hombre' is borrowed directly from Spanish, where it simply means "man." The Spanish term itself evolved from the Latin word 'hominem,' the accusative case of 'homo,' meaning "man" or "human being." This Latin root is widely found in English words like 'hominid' and 'homicide,' tracing further back to the Proto-Indo-European root 'dʰǵʰm̥mō' meaning "earthling," from 'dʰéǵʰōm' ("earth"). The journey into English slang, particularly in the American West, imbued 'hombre' with connotations of a rugged, formidable, or archetypal man, distinct from its neutral Spanish meaning.

Analysis

This word is a direct loanword from Spanish. It is not productively segmented using English morphemes.

Examples

He's a tough old hombre who has seen a lot in his life.

In the classic Western, the stranger was a mysterious hombre with a shadowy past.

You don't want to mess with that hombre; he's known to be fierce in a fight.

hombre – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology