# spic

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈspɪk/ · frequency rank #80,902

## Definitions
1. Synonym of Latino, an inhabitant of Latin America or person of Latin American descent.
2. Synonym of Italian, an inhabitant of Italy or person of Italian descent.

## 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.

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