Meanings
maquila1
plural maquilas
- Synonym of medio, half-celemin, a traditional Spanish unit of dry measure equivalent to about 2.3 L.
Synonyms: medio, half-celemin
- Synonym of maquiladora, a factory or sweatshop in Latin American and Spanish contexts.
Synonyms: maquiladora
maquila2
plural maquilas
- alternativeAlternative spelling of makila, a kind of walking stick.
I would give one of my fingers to have your milord out on the mountains, and each of us with a maquila in his fist.
1903, Prosper Mérimée, translated by Lady Mary Loyd, Carmen, published 1845
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of medio, half-celemin, a traditional Spanish unit of dry measure equivalent to about 2.3 L.
nounSynonym of maquiladora, a factory or sweatshop in Latin American and Spanish contexts.
Origin
maquila · noun
- Arabicمَكِيلَة“measured”
- Andalusian Arabicمَكِيلَة
- Spanishmaquila
- Englishmaquila
From Spanish maquila, from Andalusian Arabic مَكِيلَة (makíla), from Arabic مَكِيلَة (makīla, “measured”). In reference to factories, via Spanish clipping of maquiladora, from maquilar (“to assemble”) + -adora (“-ator: forming agent nouns”), from maquilar's original sense of taking a toll of grain. Also understood as a clipping within English.
More words from Spanish, Andalusian Arabic, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →maquila · noun
- Spanishmaquila
- Basquemakila
- Englishmaquila
From Basque makila via Spanish maquila.
More words from Basque, Spanish
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
maquila. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maquila
“maquila.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maquila. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maquila,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maquila.
Source: maquila on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.