taco
/ˈtako/
The English phrase "cue stick" is translated into Spanish as taco.
A taco is a long, tapered wooden rod used to strike the balls in games such as pool or billiards.
Which one should you use?
While taco is the standard term, you may also encounter the informal phrase El palo de pool to refer to the same object.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of taco is /ˈtako/.
Did you know?
- In some regions, the word taco is used as a slang term for a traffic jam, meaning a 'plug' in the flow of cars.
- The word taco is used in Spanish to describe a high heel on a shoe, referred to as taco or tacón.
- The term taco likely comes from the Italian word tacco, which in turn derived from a Proto-West Germanic word meaning 'twig' or 'branch'.
Examples in context
- Necesito un taco de billarI need a cue stick
- ¿Dónde puedo comprar un palo de pool?Where can I buy a cue stick?
- Voy a guardar mi taco de billar en la taqueraI'm going to store my cue stick in the cue stick case
- Necesito un taco nuevo para jugar.I need a new cue stick to play.
- El taco de madera está rayado.The wooden cue stick is scratched.
- ¿Puedes prestarme tu taco de billar?Can you lend me your billiards cue stick?
Example conversation
At a pool hall, Javier is looking for his gear.
- LucíaJavier, ¿encontraste tu taco?Javier, did you find your cue stick?
- JavierNo, no veo mi taco por ningún lado.No, I don't see my cue stick anywhere.
- LucíaCreo que lo dejaste sobre la mesa.I think you left it on the table.
- Javier¡Ah, sí! Gracias, Lucía.Ah, yes! Thanks, Lucía.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry taco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries taco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
