narco

plural narcos

1. colloquialuncountableNarcotics.

   Margo sighed her contentment. ‘Selling narco in Harlem is the life. There's nothing finer.’

   1971, Robert Deane Pharr, SRO

   1 more example

   Colonel Thornton had the deepest admiration for the Colombians at all levels of society who had made a stand against corruption and narco-dealing, often at the cost of their own lives.

   2002, Jeanette Windle, The DMZ

2. countablecrimeA Latin American drug baron, usually from Colombia or Mexico.

   The conflict has become a test of endurance for both the government and the narcos.

   2010 October 16, “Under the volcano”, in The Economist

   1 more example

   “When narcos use this level of cruelty[…] it means that something is changing and that criminal leaders are trying to show off their power, which is very worrying,“ said Germán de los Santos, an investigative journalist who covers organized crime.

   2025 September 26, Josefina Salomón, “Drug traffickers livestream torture and killing of young Argentinian women”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

3. abbreviationacronymcountablegovernmentAcronym of narcotics control officer (“a police officer specializing in drug crimes”).

   Synonyms: narc

plural narcos

1. medicineSomeone suffering from narcolepsy.

   I too am a narco. Have been for about 10 years.

   1998 January 6, “Not many postings?”, in alt.support.narcolepsy (Usenet)

   2 more examples

   Besides, staying awake on your first day at a new job is definitely NOT a problem (unless you're a narco or something...).

   1999 February 1, Sean Flynn, “Life's dilemmas - sometimes, they ARE a bitch..”, in rec.music.hip-hop (Usenet)

   Apneics, Others, and Narcos all gossip merrily on the walk back to our cabins.

   2007, Karen Russell, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, →ISBN, page 62