chivato

Spanish

Etymology

From chivar + -ato.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃiˈbato/ [t͡ʃiˈβ̞a.t̪o]
• Rhymes: -ato
• Syllabification: chi‧va‧to

Noun

chivato m (plural chivatos, feminine chivata, feminine plural chivatas)

1. a snitch; telltale; informer; stool pigeon

   Synonyms: acusete, chivo, delator, informante, sapo, soplón

2. a young goat that is between the ages of 6 months and one year old
3. a device that warns of an abnormality or draws attention to something

Derived terms

• chivatazo
• vato

Related terms

• chivarse
• chivo

Further reading

• “chivato”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025