Inklingo

palomitas

pah-loh-MEE-tahs/paloˈmitas/

palomitas means popcorn in Spanish (The snack made from heated corn kernels.).

popcorn

Also: little doves
NounfA1
ArgentinaMexicoVenezuelaColombiaChilePeruEcuador
A bright red-and-white striped bowl filled to the brim with fluffy, white popped popcorn.

📝 In Action

Compramos una bolsa grande de palomitas en el cine.

A1

We bought a large bag of popcorn at the movie theater.

Me gusta ponerles mucha sal a las palomitas.

A1

I like to put a lot of salt on the popcorn.

Huele a palomitas recién hechas.

A2

It smells like freshly made popcorn.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • palomitas de maíz (popcorn (full name))

Common Collocations

  • hacer palomitasto make popcorn
  • palomitas dulcescaramel/sweet popcorn
  • cubo de palomitaspopcorn bucket

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "palomitas" in Spanish:

little doves

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: palomitas

Question 1 of 2

If you are in Argentina and want to order popcorn, what should you ask for?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
paloma(dove / pigeon)Noun
palomar(pigeon loft / dovecote)Noun
🎵 Rhymes
bonitasgalletitas
📚 Etymology

Derived from the Spanish word 'paloma' (dove) combined with the small-sounding ending '-ita'. It was named this because the white, fluffy popped corn resembles small white birds.

First recorded: 19th century (as a culinary term)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'palomitas' masculine or feminine?

It is feminine and plural: 'las palomitas'.

Will people understand me if I say 'palomitas' in any country?

Yes! Even though many countries have their own local names (like 'cotufas' or 'pochoclo'), 'palomitas' is the most internationally recognized term due to movies and TV.