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colmillo

kol-mee-yo/kolˈmiʝo/

“colmillo” means “canine tooth” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

canine tooth, fang

Also: tusk
NounmA2
A close-up illustration of a wolf's mouth showing a sharp, prominent canine tooth.

📝 In Action

El niño perdió su primer colmillo ayer.

A1

The boy lost his first canine tooth yesterday.

El elefante tiene colmillos de marfil muy grandes.

A2

The elephant has very large ivory tusks.

Ten cuidado con esa serpiente, tiene colmillos venenosos.

B1

Be careful with that snake; it has poisonous fangs.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • canino (canine)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • enseñar los colmillos – to show one's fangs (to act aggressively)
  • colmillos de elefante – elephant tusks

savvy, street-smarts

Also: cunning
NounmB2informal
An old, wise fox wearing glasses and a scarf, looking very experienced.

📝 In Action

Ese abogado tiene mucho colmillo para los negocios.

B2

That lawyer has a lot of savvy for business.

No es fácil engañarla; ella tiene colmillo retorcido.

C1

It's not easy to trick her; she is very shrewd and experienced.

Necesitas más colmillo si quieres ganar esta negociación.

C2

You need more street-smarts if you want to win this negotiation.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • ingenuidad (naivety)

Common Collocations

  • tener colmillo – to be savvy/experienced

Idioms & Expressions

  • tener colmillo retorcido – To be extremely experienced, shrewd, and perhaps a bit manipulative.

Vocabulary Collections

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "colmillo" in Spanish:

canine tooth→cunning→fang→savvy→street-smarts→tusk→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: colmillo

Question 1 of 3

If a vampire is attacking, what is he likely to show you?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
colmilludo(having large fangs or being very savvy) — Adjective
dentadura(set of teeth) — Noun
diente(tooth) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin 'columella', which means 'little column'. This describes the strong, pillar-like shape of these specific teeth.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: colonnello

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'colmillo' the same as 'diente'?

Not exactly. 'Diente' is the general word for any tooth. 'Colmillo' refers specifically to the four pointed canine teeth.

Can I use 'colmillo' to mean 'tusk'?

Yes! In Spanish, the same word is used for the fangs of a wolf and the ivory tusks of an elephant.

Is 'colmillo retorcido' a bad thing?

It depends. It means someone is very 'shrewd' or 'sly.' It's a compliment for their intelligence, but a warning that they are hard to outsmart.