locofoco

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noun

A member of the Locofoco faction of the New York Democratic Party in the 1830s and 1840s.

Similar
Democratany member of the US Democratic Party
OriginLatin focus ← Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-der.? ← Old Latin stlocus →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

locofoco1

nounlocofoco (plural locofocos)

plural locofocos · alternative loco-foco · alternative Locofoco · alternative Loco-foco · alternative Loco-Foco · alternative loco

  1. abbreviationarchaicShort for locofoco match, a strike-anywhere phosphorus match.
  2. UShistoricalgovernmentA member of the Locofoco faction of the New York Democratic Party in the 1830s and 1840s.
  3. USarchaicderogatoryusuallygovernmentSynonym of Democrat, any member of the US Democratic Party.

    Synonyms: Democrat, any member of the US Democratic Party

  4. USgovernmentAnyone considered to subscribe to Locofocoism, the general political platform or philosophy of the Locofoco faction.

Locofoco2

nounLocofoco (plural Locofocos)

plural Locofocos

  1. Alternative letter-case form of locofoco, especially (historical, US politics) a member of the Locofoco faction of the New York Democratic Party in the 1830s and 1840s.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of Democrat, any member of the US Democratic Party.

Similar
Democratany member of the US Democratic Party
Also see
democratphosphorus match

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*stel-der.?
  2. Proto-Italic*s(t)lokos
  3. Old Latinstlocus
  4. Latinlocus
  5. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-der.?
  6. Proto-Indo-European*dʰegʷʰ-der.?
  7. Latinfocus
  8. Englishlocofoco

From Latin locus (“place; cause”) and focus (“hearth; fire”), although possibly prompted by misunderstanding the prefix of locomotive (itself from locus) as instead meaning something like self- or auto-. In reference to the NY political faction, derived from the use of locofoco matches to light candles and continue a meeting the rival Tammany Hall faction had attempted to end by killing the meeting place's gaslights. Often folk etymologized to derive from Spanish loco (“crazy”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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