Spanish Conversation · Level 18
90 words
Spanish word
pico
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈpiko/
Meaning
- masculine nountip
Example
Ten cuidado con el pico del lápiz.
Be careful of the tip of the pencil.
More examples
Subimos al pico de la montaña al amanecer.
We climbed to the mountain peak at dawn.
Core concept
A sharp pointed end, like a bird's beak or a mountain peak.
Common phrases
el pico del lápiz
pencil tip
el pico de la montaña
mountain peak
el pico del pájaro
bird beak
Similar words
punta: Pointed extremity of an object formed by tapering, such as a blade.
morro: Projecting nose or beak of an animal, the protruding snout.
Definition in Spanish
Extremo puntiagudo de un objeto o de un animal; también la cima afilada de una montaña; en uso coloquial, porción pequeña o tiempo breve.
Word origin
From Latin picus "woodpecker," the bird's sharp beak inspired a Vulgar Latin sense of 'point' that developed into Spanish pico.
Usage tips
- Besides the literal tip meaning, un pico commonly means a short time or a small amount in casual speech, but in the idiom costar un pico it means 'to cost a lot'.