bracero

bracero [bruh-sair-oh, brah-; Spanish brah-se-raw] Word Origin noun, plural bra·ce·ros [bruh-sair-ohz, brah-; Spanish brah-se-raws] /brəˈsɛər oʊz, brɑ-; Spanish brɑˈsɛ rɔs/.

1. a Mexican laborer admitted legally into the U.S. for a short period to perform seasonal, usually agricultural, labor.

Origin of bracero 1915–20; Spanish: laborer, literally, one who swings his arms. See brace, -ary