adj
Tico
adj
1
Costa Rican; relating to Costa Rica or its people.
"She was proud of her tico heritage and cooked traditional gallo pinto every Sunday."
noun
1
A person from Costa Rica.
"The hostel was full of ticos showing tourists their favourite beaches."
How to Use Tico
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn informal, affectionate word Costa Ricans use for themselves and their culture.
When to use it
Informal and widely used with pride inside Costa Rica; outside the country, "Costa Rican" is the more neutral, formal choice.
Word Forms
Ticos plural
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Etymology
From Costa Ricans' habit of adding the diminutive ending "-tico" to words far more than other Spanish speakers do (so "un poquito" becomes "un poquitico") — the nickname stuck to the people themselves.