Spanish Conversation · Level 122
60 words
Spanish word
hocico
Pronunciation
IPA/oˈθiko/
Meaning
- masculine nounsnout
Example
El gato metió el hocico en la caja.
The cat stuck its snout into the box.
More examples
El perro olfateó el hueso con su hocico.
The dog sniffed the bone with its snout.
Core concept
Protruding animal nose used for sniffing and probing.
Common phrases
meter el hocico en
stick one's snout into
oler con el hocico
sniff with one's snout
asomar el hocico
stick one's snout out
Similar words
morro: Colloquial blunt nose tip of a dog or pig, typically mentioned in informal contexts.
nariz: Nasal part of the face that takes in air and detects smells in humans and animals.
Definition in Spanish
Extremo delantero y protuberante de la nariz en animales, especializado en el olfato y en la exploración táctil.
Word origin
From a Romance root related to Portuguese focinho, with an original initial f changing to h in Spanish and retaining the meaning of an animal's nose.
Usage tips
- Refers to an animal's nose in neutral use; applied to a person it often sounds teasing or insulting, and colloquial phrases like meter el hocico mean to stick one's nose into something.
Other meanings
- muzzlenoun
Related words
- hocicarsnout aroundverb