English

Noun

narco ‎(plural narcos)

1. Narcotics.
   • 1971, Robert Deane Pharr, SRO:

     Margo sighed her contentment. ‘Selling narco in Harlem is the life. There's nothing finer.’

   • 2002, Jeanette Windle, The DMZ:

     Colonel Thornton had the deepest admiration for the Colombians at all levels of society who had made a stand against corruption and narco-dealing, often at the cost of their own lives.

2. A South American drug baron.
   • 2016 October 16, “Under the volcano”, in The Economist:

     The conflict has become a test of endurance for both the government and the narcos.

3. A police officer specializing in drug crimes

Related terms

• knocko, another term for a narcotics agent

Etymology 2

From narcolepsy.

Noun

narco ‎(plural narcos)

1. Someone suffering from narcolepsy
   • 1998 January 6, “Not many postings?”, in alt.support.narcolepsy, Usenet:

     I too am a narco. Have been for about 10 years.

   • 1999 February 1, Sean Flynn, “Life's dilemmas - sometimes, they ARE a bitch..”, in rec.music.hip-hop, Usenet:

     Besides, staying awake on your first day at a new job is definitely NOT a problem (unless you're a narco or something...).

   • 2007, Karen Russell, St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, ISBN 9780307276674, page 62:

     Apneics, Others, and Narcos all gossip merrily on the walk back to our cabins.

Anagrams

• acorn, caron, Coran, racon

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnar.ko/, [ˈnaɾ.ko]

Etymology 1

Short for narcotraficante ‎(“drug dealer”).

Noun

narco m ‎(plural narcos, feminine narca)

1. drug dealer, drug lord

Derived terms

• narco-

Related terms

• narcótico

Etymology 2

Short for narcotráfico ‎(“drug trafficking”).

Noun

narco m ‎(uncountable)

1. (colloquial) drug trafficking

   la guerra contra el narco

   the war against drug trafficking

Hyponyms

• narcomayoreo
• narcomenudeo

Derived terms

• narco-