The meaning of caco in the Dominican Republic can be summed up to be a derogatory synonym of the word head, specifically in the construction Head of.
In this context, Caco is also used on that island as the name of a haircut, specifically that of a shaved head.
As a fact to keep in mind, outside this country the term caco is used as a colloquial name given to a thief.
Below we will show some basic examples about the use of caco in its different contexts.
- ” Juan is a hot caco ” – Juan is a hot head.
- ” Pedrito peeled to caco ” – Pedrito shaved his head.
- “I’m tired of cacos” – I’m tired of thieves.
Origin of caco
Etymologically, the word caco comes from the Greek Kakos and the Latin Cacus, a name given in Greek mythology to the god of thieves.
In the Dominican Republic, the term caco comes from the word Casco, a helmet is an object that serves to protect the head from injury.
It is theorized that using the term helmet as a synonym for head comes from the Middle Ages, where knights used to wear helmets with different designs.
Curiosities
- Given the popularity of this word in the Dominican Republic, this term has appeared in some musical themes such as:
- “Pela a Caco” by the urban exponent Bullin47.
- “Caco e Maco” from the merengue player Toño Rosario .
- Bald people are also often called “caco pelao”.