narco
narco Lexical Profile
narco Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who illegally manufactures, smuggles, or traffics in narcotics, especially a high-ranking member of a drug cartel.
"The documentary traced how the notorious narco built an international smuggling network during the 1980s."
American A police officer or federal agent who specializes in enforcing laws against the illegal drug trade.
"In the classic crime novel, the undercover narco spent months infiltrating the waterfront smuggling ring."
• adjective
Relating to, funded by, or associated with the illegal narcotics trade or drug cartels.
"The investigative journalist wrote a series of articles examining the economic impact of narco corruption on local municipalities."
Word Nuance & Usage
In older 20th-century American slang, 'narco' referred to an undercover narcotics police officer, whereas in contemporary usage (borrowed from Latin American Spanish 'narcotraficante') it almost exclusively refers to a drug cartel member or trafficker.
• Rhymes for narco
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originally a mid-20th-century American English shortening of 'narcotics' (ultimately from Ancient Greek 'narkoun', meaning 'to benumb'), and later reinforced by Latin American Spanish 'narco', a clipping of 'narcotraficante' (drug trafficker).