What does guacamole mean?
Guacamole is a thick avocado-based dip, usually made from mashed avocado and seasoned with an acidic ingredient such as lime or lemon juice, salt, and, commonly, onion, chilli, or coriander. It is typically served as a dip with tortilla chips, or used as a topping or filling in tacos, tostadas, and sandwiches. Although its flavour and ingredients vary by region and recipe, guacamole is now familiar in British, American, and international English as a staple of Mexican-inspired food. The term also carries pleasant associations of freshness, richness, informality, and shared meals. Its name is a Spanish loan ultimately connected to Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and the source word for avocado. Once chiefly regional, guacamole became a widely understood food word through restaurant use and international adoption. Today it may refer collectively to the dish, though plural forms also occur for individual servings or varieties. It is especially useful to speakers who encounter it on menus, in travel writing, or in descriptions of Mexican and Tex-Mex food.
nounA thick dip or spread made chiefly from mashed avocado and typically seasoned with lime or lemon juice, salt, and often onion, chilli, or coriander.
- An avocado-based dip or spread, usually seasoned with lime or lemon juice, salt, and other flavourings and served with tortilla chips or used in sandwiches, tacos, and similar dishes.
"She served freshly made guacamole with warm tortilla chips."
"We ordered guacamole and chips while we waited for the main course."
"The recipe combines guacamole with lime, coriander, and roasted tomatoes to make a dip for the party."
The plural is used for individual servings or distinct varieties of guacamole, especially in restaurant and menu contexts.
"The menu offered four guacamoles with different levels of spice."
Guacamole carries a Spanish name with roots in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does guacamole come from?
Guacamole entered English through Mexican Spanish. The Spanish word derives from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, and ultimately relates to a term for avocado; related forms such as aguacate and avocado share this etymological origin.
Related word forms
How guacamole is actually used
Guacamole is usually treated as a mass noun, although guacamoles is also used for individual servings or distinct varieties. The shortened form guac is especially common in informal American English. The word generally names the prepared dip rather than the avocado itself.