Spic
//ˈspɪk// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of Latino, an inhabitant of Latin America or person of Latin American descent. US, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slur
- 2 (ethnic slur) offensive term for persons of Latin American descent wordnet
- 3 Synonym of Italian, an inhabitant of Italy or person of Italian descent. US, ethnic, slur, uncommon
"“He’s a spic” he said. He was frantic with jealousy, he didn’t want to be hurt again."
Adjective
- 1 completely neat and clean wordnet
Example
More examples"“He’s a spic” he said. He was frantic with jealousy, he didn’t want to be hurt again."
Etymology
First attested in this spelling in the 1910s, from earlier spig, spiggoty, spikity, generally taken to derive from a (stereotype of a) Hispanic pronunciation of "(no) speak d(e) English" (especially as used by the laborers who dug the Panama Canal). There are also later (1960s) suggestions that the term referred instead to Italians and derives from spaghetti, but there is little to back this up.
Related phrases
More for "spic"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.