tapacaminos

Spanish

Etymology

Verb-object compound, composed of tapa (“to block”) +‎ caminos (“ways, paths”). Literally, “path-blocker”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tapakaˈminos/ [t̪a.pa.kaˈmi.nos]
• Rhymes: -inos
• Syllabification: ta‧pa‧ca‧mi‧nos

Noun

tapacaminos m (plural tapacaminos)

1. (Mexico, El Salvador, Eastern Bolivia) the chuck-will's-widow or the Eastern whippoorwill

   Synonyms: pucuyo, curcuris, chotacabras

2. (Honduras) the pauraque

   Synonyms: pucuyo, tapacamino, pocuyo, pocoyo, curiango, cocuyo, aguaitacamino

Further reading

• “tapacaminos”, 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
• “tapacaminos” in Diccionario de americanismos, Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010