chaleco

Galician

Alternative forms

• chaleque

Etymology

Ultimately probably from Turkish yelek. Compare Spanish chaleco, Portuguese jaleco, English gilet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃaˈlɛko/ [t͡ʃaˈlɛ.kʊ]
• Rhymes: -ɛko
• Hyphenation: cha‧le‧co

Noun

chaleco m (plural chalecos)

1. vest, waistcoat
   • 1891, José Barral Campos, O amigo de S. Pedro:

     Dimpois de comer dúas cuncas de caldo, deitouse na cama, sacou da faltrica do chaleque dous cigarros e unha navalla e liando un pito, púxose a fumegar polas ventas das narices, o mesmo có tren.

     After eating two bowls of broth he lay down on the bed; he took two cigars and a pocket knife from the vest's pocket and, rolling a cigarette, began to throw smoke by the nostrils, not unlike a train.

References

• Antón Santamarina, editor (2006–2013), “chaleco”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Santamarina, editor (2006–2013), “chaleque”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Santamarina, Ernesto X. González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “chaleco”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “chaleco”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Spanish

Etymology

Perhaps from archaic Italian giulecco, which is from Turkish yelek. Compare English gilet and Portuguese jaleco.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃaˈleko/ [t͡ʃaˈle.ko]
• Rhymes: -eko
• Syllabification: cha‧le‧co

Noun

chaleco m (plural chalecos)

1. vest, waistcoat, gilet
2. sweater, jumper

   Synonyms: suéter, pulóver, jersey

3. (informal, uncommon, El Salvador) a Salesian

   Synonym: salesiano

Derived terms

• chaleco antibalas
• chaleco salvavidas
• chalequillo

Further reading

• “chaleco”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 24th edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 30 October 2026
• “chaleco”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010