Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tirachinas | /tiɾaˈt͡ʃinas/ | masculine |
| baladora | /baladoɾa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| catapulta | /kataˈpulta/ | Costa Rica, feminine |
| cauchera | /kauˈt͡ʃeɾa/ | Colombia, feminine |
| charpe | /t͡ʃaɾpe/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, Southwestern, masculine |
| chilinchate | /t͡ʃilint͡ʃate/ (from spelling rules) | Honduras, masculine |
| china | /ˈt͡ʃina/ | Venezuela, feminine |
| estiladera | /estilaˈdeɾa/ | Canary Islands, feminine |
| fonda | /ˈfonda/ | Central, Venezuela, Western, feminine |
| gomera | /ɡoˈmeɾa/ | Argentina, feminine |
| gomero | /ɡoˈmeɾo/ | Central, Northwestern, Southern, Spain, masculine |
| honda | /ˈonda/ | Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Northwestern, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, feminine |
| hondita | /ondita/ (from spelling rules) | Paraguay, feminine |
| resortera | /resoɾteɾa/ (from spelling rules) | Costa Rica, Ecuador, feminine |
| tiracantos | /tiɾakantos/ (from spelling rules) | Central, Spain, Western, masculine |
| tirachinos | /ˌtiɾaˈt͡ʃinos/ | Southwestern, Spain, masculine |
| tiradera | /tiɾaˈdeɾa/ | Canary Islands, feminine |
| tirahule | /tiɾaule/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, Southeastern, masculine |
| tirapiedras | /tiɾapjedɾas/ (from spelling rules) | Cuba, Dominican Republic, masculine |
| tira-tira | /tiɾatiɾa/ (from spelling rules) | Northwestern, Venezuela, masculine |
| palca | /palka/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
A slingshot is a Y-shaped stick with an elastic sling between the arms used for shooting small projectiles.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Spanish has many regional terms for a slingshot. In Argentina, you can use gomera or honda. In Chile, Guatemala, Peru, Uruguay and parts of Venezuela, the term is honda. In Costa Rica, you might hear catapulta or resortera, while resortera is also used in Ecuador. In Colombia, use cauchera. In Mexico, charpe is used in the Southwest, while tirahule is common in the Southeast. In Honduras, it is called a chilinchate. In Venezuela, terms include china, fonda (Central and Western) and tira-tira (Northwestern). In the Canary Islands, you can use estiladera or tiradera. In Cuba and the Dominican Republic, the word is tirapiedras. In Spain, gomero is used in Central, Northwestern and Southern regions, while tirachinos is used in the Southwest. In the Central and Western parts of Spain, it is called tiracantos.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word tirachinas is masculine. Other forms vary: baladora, catapulta, cauchera, china, estiladera, fonda, gomera, honda, hondita, resortera, tiradera, palca are feminine, while charpe, chilinchate, gomero, tiracantos, tirachinos, tirahule, tirapiedras and tira-tira are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/tiɾaˈtʃinas/
Did you know?
- The term cauchera used in Colombia is derived from the word caucho, which is the Spanish word for 'rubber'.
- The word catapulta comes from the Ancient Greek katapéltēs, a term used for massive siege engines used to hurl stones at city walls.
- The term resortera used in Costa Rica and Ecuador comes from the word resorte, meaning 'spring'.
Examples in context
- ¡Mira qué divertido es usar el tirachinas! ¡Puedo lanzar canicas muy lejos!Look how fun it is to use the slingshot! I can throw marbles very far!
- El niño juega con su tirachinas.The boy is playing with his slingshot.
- Compré un tirachinas nuevo en la tienda.I bought a new slingshot at the store.
- Ten cuidado con ese tirachinas.Be careful with that slingshot.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are playing in the garden.
- JavierMira el tirachinas que encontré.Look at the slingshot I found.
- SofíaTen cuidado con eso, Javier.Be careful with that, Javier.
- JavierSolo quiero tirar una piedra.I just want to throw a stone.
- SofíaNo uses el tirachinas aquí.Don't use the slingshot here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slingshot” translations and entries tirachinas, baladora, catapulta, cauchera, charpe, china, estiladera, fonda, gomera, gomero, honda, resortera, tiracantos, tirachinos, tiradera, tirapiedras, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries catapulta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
