pinto: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, with a technical/agricultural register in specific contexts (e.g., horse breeding).
Quick answer
What does “pinto” mean?
A horse with a coat colour pattern of large patches of white and another colour.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A horse with a coat colour pattern of large patches of white and another colour.
1. (Attributive, US) Denoting something piebald or spotted; e.g., a type of bean with a mottled skin. 2. (As an adjective, informal) Marked with patches of two or more colours, especially black and white.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, the term 'pinto' is rare outside of equestrian circles or American cultural imports (e.g., pinto beans). In the US, 'pinto' is widely understood for both the horse and the bean. The equine term 'skewbald' (brown/white) or 'piebald' (black/white) is more common in UK English for such horses.
Connotations
In the US, 'pinto horse' has associations with Native American and Western frontier culture. In the UK, it is a specialised term with fewer cultural connotations.
Frequency
The word is significantly more frequent in American English due to the dual usage for beans and horses.
Grammar
How to Use “pinto” in a Sentence
[be] a pinto[have] a pintoa pinto [horse/bean]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pinto” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Not used as a verb)
American English
- (Not used as a verb)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- The farm had a few pinto ponies for the children.
- She bought a bag of pinto beans from the international aisle.
American English
- He rode a beautiful pinto mustang across the plain.
- We're having chili with pinto beans for dinner.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Uncommon. Might appear in agriculture/feed business.
Academic
Rare, except in specific historical (e.g., US frontier) or biological contexts.
Everyday
In the US, common in contexts of food and casual references to horses.
Technical
Used in equine genetics/breeding and agriculture (legume types).
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pinto”
- Using 'pinto' to describe patterns on non-equine animals (e.g., dogs, cats) is atypical.
- Confusing 'pinto' (pattern) with specific breeds like 'American Paint Horse' (which is a breed that often exhibits a pinto pattern).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Pinto refers to a colour pattern (piebald or skewbald), not a specific breed. Many breeds can have pinto-coloured individuals.
'Pinto' is a colour pattern. 'Paint' or 'American Paint Horse' is a specific breed registry that requires specific lineage, though Paints often have a pinto pattern.
Dried pinto beans are beige with brown speckles. When cooked, they lose their spotting and turn a uniform pinkish-brown colour.
It comes from Spanish 'pinto', meaning 'painted, mottled', which in turn comes from Vulgar Latin 'pinctus'.
A horse with a coat colour pattern of large patches of white and another colour.
Pinto is usually informal, with a technical/agricultural register in specific contexts (e.g., horse breeding). in register.
Pinto: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɪntəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɪntoʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(none directly, but 'pinto bean' is a fixed culinary term)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Pinto = Painted. Think of a horse 'painted' with large white and coloured patches.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CANVAS/SPLATTER PATTERN (something marked with irregular patches of colour).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the most common modern association for the word 'pinto' in American English?