# maquila

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Synonym of medio, half-celemin, a traditional Spanish unit of dry measure equivalent to about 2.3 L.
2. Synonym of maquiladora, a factory or sweatshop in Latin American and Spanish contexts.

## Etymology
From Spanish maquila, from Andalusian Arabic مَكِيلَة (makíla), from Arabic مَكِيلَة (makīla, “measured”). In reference to factories, via Spanish clipping of maquiladora, from maquilar (“to assemble”) + -adora (“-ator: forming agent nouns”), from maquilar's original sense of taking a toll of grain. Also understood as a clipping within English.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/maquila