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Definition of carnitas

carnitas

/kɑːrˈniːtəs/
car · ni · tas
Plural:carnitas
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carnitas Lexical Profile

carnitas Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A traditional Mexican cuisine dish consisting of pork that is slowly braised or roasted until highly tender, then shredded and lightly crisped.

Example

"We ordered a platter of street tacos loaded with juicy carnitas, fresh cilantro, and diced onions."

Word Nuance & Usage

Although plural in its Spanish origin, 'carnitas' is typically treated as a singular mass noun in English when referring to the dish.

• Rhymes for carnitas

• Nearby Words

carmel river
carnation
carnifex
carnitas
carnotaurus
carnyx
carob

Word Origin & Etymology

From Mexican Spanish 'carnitas', literally meaning 'little meats', derived from 'carne' (meat) combined with the diminutive suffix '-ita' and plural '-s'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Carnitas. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/carnitas
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