Negrillo

N1E1G2R1I1L1L1O1

noun

An African Pygmy.

Scrabble 9

Meanings

nounNegrillo (plural Negrillos)

plural Negrillos

  1. An African Pygmy.

    Negrillo children are sometimes caught and held in slavery; but when “they attain the age at which the Spanish laws set them free, they, with but a single known exception, return to the woods.[…]”

    1848, United States exloring expedition, United States Exploring Expedition: During the Year 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, page 174
    3 more examples

    Negrillo Race. — An Aramanga Lad. “THE Negrillo race,” says Dr. Pickering, “has much the same complexion as the Papuan; but differs in the diminutive stature, the general absence of a beard, the projecting of the lower part of the face […]”

    1855, John Frost, Grand Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animated Nature: Embracing a Full Description of the Different Races of Men, and of the Characteristic Habits and Modes of Life of the Various Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Insects, Reptiles, and Microscopic Animalcula of the Globe. Being a Complete History of the Animal Kingdom, page 19

    These clicks are very characteristic of the Bushmen and dwarf languages, and if the statement be true, then these two tribes must be Negrillo. It rests, however, solely on some remarks by Tutschek, and is improbable.

    1896, John Walter Gregory, The Great Rift Valley: Being the Narrative of a Journey to Mount Kenya and Lake Baringo: with Some Account of the Geology, Natural History, Anthropology and Future Prospects of British East Africa, page 328

    (v) Negrillo (African pygmy). The Negrillos are very short in stature. Their average height is 4' 6" or 136 cm. They have short trunk, short legs and long arms; Steatopygea is occasionally present in women.

    1997, Ram Nath Sharma, Rajendra K. Sharma, Anthropology, page 101

Origin

  1. Spanishnegrillo
  2. EnglishNegrillo

From Spanish negrillo, from negro + -illo.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Negrillo. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Negrillo

MLA

“Negrillo.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Negrillo. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Negrillo,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Negrillo.

Source: Negrillo on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.