Word Study
wetback
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun wetback has 1 sense
- wetback(n = noun.person) greaser, taco - (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Mexican descent; Array is a kind of mexican
CIDE DICTIONARY
wetback, n.
- A Mexican who enters the United States illegally, by wading across the Rio Grande; -- disparaging and offensive. [PJC]
- An offensive term for a person of Mexican descent, usually intended and considered as an ethnic slur. [WordNet 1.5]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
wetback, n. US colloq. an illegal immigrant from Mexico to the US.
Etymology
WET + BACK: from the practice of swimming the Rio Grande to reach the US
THESAURUS
wetback
Aussie, Boche, Canuck, Chink, DP, Guinea, Hunk, Hunkie, Jerry, Kraut, Krauthead, Mick, Mickey, Paddy, dago, displaced person, emigrant, emigre, evacue, evacuee, exile, expatriate, frog, greaseball, greaser, immigrant, in-migrant, limey, migrant, migrator, migratory worker, out-migrant, stateless person, trekker
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