wetback
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
A Mexican or Central American who illegally enters the United States of America from its southern border.
Register: derogatory, slang
Examples
Quoted attestation: 1920, Temporary admission of illiterate Mexican laborers: Hearings before the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, House of Representatives, 66th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 141,
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
A person of the mestizo race; a mojado.
Register: derogatory, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “wetback” mean?
A Mexican or Central American who illegally enters the United States of America from its southern border.
Is “wetback” formal or informal?
wetback is generally derogatory, slang.