Chihuahua

noun

Chi·​hua·​hua chə-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

shə-,

-wə

: any of a breed of very small roundheaded dogs that occur in short-coated and long-coated varieties

Examples of Chihuahua in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dorothea, a 10-year-old Chihuahua mix, was found June 16 atop a shopping cart in the middle of a canal, according to Arizona Humane Society. —Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2024

California and Mexican Chihuahua license plates line the walls, along with photos of Los Angeles athletes who have won championships. —Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024

His most famous client might have been the Taco Bell Chihuahua. —Stuart Emmrich, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2024

The bus was headed for Ciudad Juarez, a city on the U.S.-Mexico border in the state of Chihuahua. —Reuters, NBC News, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish, from Chihuahua, Mexico

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Chihuahua

noun

Chi·​hua·​hua chə-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

shə-,

-wə

: any of a breed of very small large-eared dogs that originated in Mexico

Etymology

named for Chihuahua, a state in Mexico

Geographical Definition

Chihuahua

geographical name

Chi·​hua·​hua chē-ˈwä-(ˌ)wä 

chə-,

-wə

1

state of northern Mexico bordering on the U.S. (Texas and New Mexico) area 95,400 square miles (247,086 square kilometers), population 3,406,465

2

city, and capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua metropolitan area population 819,543