guacamole

Etymology

It is borrowed from Spanish guacamole, recorded in 1836 in a dictionary of Cuban words,^[2] originally Mexican Spanish,^[3][4][5] from Classical Nahuatl āhuacamōlli, recorded by 1571,^[2][5] formed from āhuacatl (“avocado”), the source of avocado, and mōlli (“sauce”), the source of mole in the sense of a Mexican sauce.^[2][6][7][8] The American Heritage Dictionary relates the second part to mōla (“to get ground up”).^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

An avocado-based dish from Mexico: 1891, in the Springfield (Vermont) Reporter.^[2] Etymonline also dates the word to 1891, noting the early form huacamole and describing it as a Cuban dish.^[7] Barnhart and Merriam-Webster Unabridged gave 1920 as the first date.^[4][8]

Semantic evolution

Barry Popik finds huacamole in Mary Jaques's Texan Ranch Life (1894), and quotes the 1920 record, W. Popenoe's mention of mashed avocado with onions and lemon juice as "the delectable guacamale of Cuba and Mexico", noting that the word reached English cookbooks only around 1930.^[9] The clipped form guac is cited from 1983 and became common in the late 1990s and 2000s.^[10] Collins also records the word for various Mexican and South American salads with avocado.^[11]

Timeline

• 1891 – an avocado-based dish, in a Vermont newspaper.^[2][7]
• 1894 – huacamole, in Texan Ranch Life.^[9]
• 1920 – guacamale, mashed avocado with onions and lemon juice.^[9][4]
• 1983 – the clipping guac.^[10]

Meanings

Noun

1. A dip or spread of mashed avocado, usually mixed with onion, tomato, chili and seasoning: We served guacamole with tortilla chips.^{[8][11][2][12]}
2. Any of various Mexican or South American salads made with avocado.^[11][2]

Usage notes

Merriam-Webster Unabridged also records the less common spelling guachamole.^[8]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
5. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
6. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (online 2024), 5th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
7. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
8. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
9. ^ a b c Popik, Barry, The Big Apple, barrypopik.com, p. "Guacamole", 30 August 2006
10. ^ a b Popik, Barry, The Big Apple, barrypopik.com, p. "Guac [guacamole]", 16 February 2012
11. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
12. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press