Word origins

• OsicalaA town in Morazán department, El Salvador.
• OsortoA surname from Spanish.
• OstúaA river in El Salvador.
• OtomiA person belonging to the indigenous Otomi ethnic group of central Mexico.
• OzaetaA surname.
• OzatlánA town in Usulután department, El Salvador.
• pacasA surname from Spanish.
• pachamancaAn underground pit lined with hot stones and used for traditional Peruvian cooking.
• padelA racquet sport popular in Spain and Latin America, usually played in doubles on a small, closed court.
• PadiaA surname from Spanish.
• PadilloA surname from Spanish.
• paelleraA large shallow frying pan in which paella is cooked.
• paicheAn arapaima, also called the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas).
• pailaAn earthenware bowl used as a plate in parts of South America.
• País VascoBasque Country
• paladarA small family-run restaurant in a Cuban home
• PalawanoAn inhabitant of the island of Palawan.
• PalaweñoAn inhabitant of the Palawan island.
• PalenaA province of the Los Lagos region, Chile.
• PalenqueroA Spanish-based creole spoken in northern Colombia.
• palmitaAny member of the species Chamaerops humilis of European fan palms or Mediterranean dwarf palms.
• palmitoSynonym of heart of palm.
• Palo AltoA city in Santa Clara County, California, United States.
• palo cortadoA rare variety of sherry that is initially aged under flor to become a fino or amontillado, but inexplicably loses its veil of flor and begins aging oxidatively as an oloroso, resulting in a wine with some of the richness of oloroso and some of the crispness of amontillado.
• PalomequeA surname from Spanish.
• palo santoA medium-sized deciduous tree indigenous to the tropical dry forests of Central and South America, Bursera graveolens or Gonopterodendron sarmientoi, known for its sweet scent.
• palo verdeAny of a variety of trees in the genus Parkinsonia, with characteristic green bark, found in desert areas of North America.
• PampangoA native or inhabitant of Pampanga.
• panatelaA long thin cigar.
• PanchimalcoA town in San Salvador department, El Salvador.
• pandebonoA type of cheese bread made with flour of both corn and cassava (yuca), popular in the Colombian department of Valle del Cauca.
• panillaSynonym of cuarteron, a Spanish quarter-pound.
• PanixtlahuacaA town in Oaxaca, Mexico.
• panochacoarse Mexican brown sugar
• panuchoA fried tortilla filled with black beans and topped with turkey or chicken, lettuce, avocado, and pickled onions.
• Paraíso de OsorioA town in La Paz department, El Salvador.
• ParañaqueAn independent city in Metro Manila, Philippines.
• parapoliticsPolitical practices and arrangements that are unacknowledged and that intend to misinform or obfuscate a hidden agenda.
• Parece VelaSynonym of Okinotorishima.
• ParralesA surname from Spanish.
• parrandaA Venezuelan genre of music with African influences and drumming.
• PasaquinaA town in La Unión department, El Salvador.
• PascuenseThe native people of Easter Island.
• paseílloThe parade before the start of a bullfight, when all the bullfighters enter the arena.
• pasillaA variety of chili (a dried chilaca), used especially in sauces.
• pasilloA South American genre of music with some of the features of European classical dance.
• pasitroteA horse gait similar to an amble
• paso dobleA fast Spanish ballroom dance in double time.
• Paso FinoA horse of a breed originally imported to the Caribbean from Spain, prized for its smooth, natural, four-beat, lateral ambling gait.
• pastorelaA traditional Mexican theater performance that chronicles the journeys of shepherds and shepherdesses on the way to visit the newborn Jesus, typically performed during Advent.
• PastranA surname from Spanish.
• PastranoA surname from Spanish.
• patacheA dispatch-boat; a small vessel used to communicate between the vessels of a fleet.
• patacoonSynonym of pataca.
• PatagonesPatagones Partido, the southernmost partido in Buenos Aires province, Argentina.
• peccadilloA small flaw or sin.
• pedreroA cannon that fires stone cannonballs.
• Pedro XiménezA grape variety grown in several Spanish wine regions.
• pegadorA species of remora (Echeneis naucrates).
• pejibayeThe edible fruit of the tropical peach palm (Bactris gasipaes), a single-seeded drupe; a peewah.
• PelcastreA surname from Spanish.
• PeñaA surname from Spanish; alternative spelling of Pena.
• PenadoA surname from Spanish.
• PenaflorA surname from Spanish.
• PenagosA surname from Spanish.
• PenalozaA surname from Spanish.
• PenalverA surname from Spanish.
• PenarandaA surname from Spanish.
• penitenteA tall thin blade of hardened snow or ice, found closely spaced in large quantities at high altitudes.
• peñónA kind of offshore fort established by the Spanish Empire.
• pentagonismIn leftist political thought, a stage beyond imperialism embodied by the United States.
• PenunuriA surname from Spanish.
• Peor es NadaA rural community of Chimbarongo, Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region, Chile.
• periaguaA dugout canoe.
• PericúA people who lived in the Cape Region in the southernmost portion of Baja California Sur until the 18th century.
• pernilSlow-roasted marinated pork leg or shoulder, typically marinated with sofrito, as prepared in the cuisines of Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.
• PerquínA town in Morazán department, El Salvador.
• PesantesA surname from Spanish.
• PetorcaA town in Petorca, Chile.
• picadilloAny of various Spanish or South American dishes made with chopped vegetables and sometimes ground beef.
• PicadoA surname from Spanish.
• picaraA female picaro.
• picaroRogue, adventurer.
• PichilemuA city and commune of Chile.
• pico-In the International System of Units and other metric systems of units, multiplying the unit to which it is attached by 10⁻¹² (short scale trillionth or long scale billionth).
• PicurisA Northern Tiwa-speaking people and tribe located in northern New Mexico.
• PiedrahitaA surname from Spanish.
• piel de sapoSynonym of Santa Claus melon.
• piloncillopanela
• piñacloth woven from pineapple fiber
• piña coladaA cocktail containing rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and a dash of syrup, blended with crushed ice.
• pinchoA small snack served with drinks as an appetizer; a tapa.
• piñonAny of several species of North American pines in Pinus subsect. Cembroides that bear edible seeds (pine nuts), especially Pinus edulis; the nut pine.
• Pinotepa NacionalA city in Oaxaca, Mexico.
• pinto beanAny bean of several varieties of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), common in the US and Mexico.
• PioquintoA surname from Spanish.
• piquilloA specific breed of small, red pepper originally from Peru
• piraiA piranha fish.
• piscolaA highball cocktail popular in Chile, made of pisco and usually cola.
• pitayaAny of certain cactuses native to the Americas, of genera Selenicereus or Stenocereus, especially the latter.