Spanish word

michelín

Pronunciation

IPA/mitʃeˈlin/

Meaning

  • masculine nounspare tire

Example

No quiero tener michelín, así que cuido mi dieta.

I don't want to have a spare tire, so I watch my diet.

Illustration for michelín (spare tire)

More examples

Con ejercicio, los michelines desaparecieron.

With exercise, the love handles disappeared.

Core concept

Small roll of fat around the waist.

Common phrases

  • los michelines

    the love handles

  • perder michelín

    lose a love handle

Similar words

barriga: General, everyday belly area between the ribs and the pelvis.
vientre: Abdominal region that contains the internal organs, formal or medical register.
lonja: Visible roll of fat at the waist that bulges over clothing, vulgar colloquial term.

Definition in Spanish

Pliegue o rollo de grasa que aparece alrededor de la cintura; palabra familiar y no técnica.

Word origin

The word derives from the Michelin tire maker and entered Spanish as colloquial slang because a ring of fat around the midsection recalls a tire.

Usage tips

  • The written accent on michelín marks stress on the final syllable, and the accent disappears in the plural michelines under Spanish spelling rules.

Other meanings

  • love handlenoun

Opposites

  • vientre planoflat stomachnoun
  • cintura marcadadefined waistnoun

Word lists with this word