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Definition of nueces

nueces

/nuːˈeɪ.sɪs/
Nue · ces

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nueces Lexical Profile

• noun

1

American A river in the United States, located in southern Texas, that flows southeast into the Gulf of Mexico. It is historically significant as the disputed boundary between Texas and Mexico prior to the Mexican-American War.


2

American A county located on the Gulf Coast in the state of Texas, United States, with Corpus Christi serving as its county seat.

Example

"Local agriculture, petrochemicals, and the port industry play significant roles in the economy of Nueces County."

Word Nuance & Usage

In standard English, 'Nueces' is almost exclusively encountered as a capitalized proper noun referring to geographic locations in Texas, despite literally translating to 'nuts' in Spanish.

• Rhymes for nueces

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from the Spanish word 'nueces' (plural of 'nuez', meaning nut), derived from Latin 'nux'. Spanish explorers gave the name to a Texas river due to the abundant pecan trees growing along its banks.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Nueces. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/nueces
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