Dago

Quick meaning: Dago is a noun meaning (US, England, ethnic slur, somewhat dated) A person of Southern European descent.

Meaning

(US, England, ethnic slur, somewhat dated) A person of Southern European descent.

More Meanings

1. (US, Australia, ethnic slur, somewhat dated) A person of Italian descent, more specifically.
2. (US, rare, derogatory) A Catholic.
3. (obsolete, naval slang, often derogatory, originally US) A crewman who speaks Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian.

Example Sentences

Oh, well, I didn’t really do anything this time. Just pulled the Dago out of the river. Like all Dagos, he couldn’t swim.

I interviewed his aid to know what the Dago's rank was (Sailors call everybody that speaks Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, Dagos)

He had that treacherous snarky look, characteristic of all these Mediterranean nations, known to Yankee sailors by the generic name of Dago. However, as long as he behaved, I used him well, but I didn't trust him.

Detective J.J. McVea of the Charles street station, who arrested the boys, says that the robbery of the safe was a remarkable one and showed no trace of amateurism. It was committed by four boys. Besides Lyons and Murphy, he says, there were in it Albert Moquin, 14 years old, of 68 West Third street, and one whom Lyons calls “Oscar the Wop,” or “Oscar the Dago.”

Word Forms

• dagoes
• dagos

Synonyms for dago

Depending on context, synonyms include goombah, greaseball, guido, guinea, wog, wop.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include greaseball, wop, guinea, wog, beaner, goombah.

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