alebrije

Spanish

Alebrijes at the Pochote Market in the city of Oaxaca.

Etymology

Nonce word coined by Mexican artist Pedro Linares, who created the art form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aleˈbɾixe/ [a.leˈβ̞ɾi.xe]
• Rhymes: -ixe
• Syllabification: a‧le‧bri‧je

Noun

alebrije m (plural alebrijes)

1. A brightly-colored Mexican handcrafted sculpture usually made from papier-mâché or wood depicting a fantastical animal.

Further reading

• “alebrije”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
• “alebrije”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10